Better Said Without Words
by Rae D. Magdon
Summary: While Aria is away from the Citadel, Tevos takes the opportunity to ease her loneliness by getting to know Liara a little better. (TBE Universe)
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This story was written for my wonderful and amazing _ SUBSCRIBERS_. They're the ones who make it possible for me to pay my rent and T's therapy bills. ^^ They picked the prompt, and they got to read this oneshot a week early. So, thank you. You are awesome. Everyone who isn't sure what I'm talking about can check on the link on my profile to learn more about what is. You get goodies (like this, and more!) for signing up.

**Warning:** This story takes place in the TBE universe, and it's about Tevos and Liara melding for the very first time. The sex is vanilla, but intense.

**. . .**

**Better Said Without Words**

**. . .**

Tevos slumped over, groaning as she rested her forehead on the cushion of her folded arms. After a busy day of work, her shoulders usually ached from hours of sitting, and her body screamed for a warm bath and the comfort of her bed. But tonight, like every night for the past week, she felt restless. On edge.

With a sigh, she let her cheek slip off her arms to press against the cool surface of her desk. The texture of metal only brought momentary relief. Her skin tingled, and she shifted in her chair, unable to find a comfortable position. With more than a little desperation, her eyes darted over to her terminal to check the time. _18:23._ _Nearly the middle of the night. How did I manage to work so late?_

But she already knew the answer to that question. She wanted to avoid going home - if it could even be called home when Aria was not present. Although she was fond of the apartment she and Aria had purchased after the reconstruction of the Citadel, Tevos could never manage to relax when her bondmate was away. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. _One more week,_ she told herself, moving her overheated face to a cooler spot on the desk._ She's only on Omega for one more week…_

Unfortunately, on nights like this, one week apart from Aria managed to feel like a hundred years. Before the start of their relationship, she wouldn't have imagined that being separated from someone for such a trivial amount of time could bother her. Her schedule was always busy, and there were never enough hours in the day to finish all the work her job required. But something in her had changed since she had fallen in love with Aria. A day where she didn't see her bondmate's smile didn't seem worthwhile, no matter how much she accomplished. A night she didn't spend in Aria's arms felt like a waste.

Realizing that she wouldn't be able to get any more work done in this state of mind, she picked herself up off the desk and stood, stretching her arms above her head. That eased some of the pain on either side of her spine, but did nothing to fill the hole in her chest or soothe the uncomfortable tension coiled in the pit of her stomach. She bit her lip guiltily, staring down at her Omni-tool. It wasn't too late, was it? Surely Aria wouldn't mind if she called…

"I shouldn't," she said aloud to the empty room, but her mind was already made up. She needed to see Aria's face. Hear her voice. Feel close to her, even though they were billions of lightyears apart. Before she could talk herself out of it, she flicked through her contacts and chose name right at the top.

Moments later, Aria's smiling face appeared on the screen above her wrist. Tevos had learned to read all of her bondmate's smiles over the years. The sharp, confident tilt of her lips that could stop a room. The seductive smirk that sent all the blood from Tevos's head rushing between her legs. The cold, chilling sneer that meant someone was about to be punished for breaking Omega's only rule. And the soft, indulgent grin she only showed when their daughter's tiny hands were tugging at the edge of her jacket.

This time, Aria's smile read amusement. The corners were barely twitched up, and her eyes were dancing. "Calling again, babe?" she said, settling to one side. Even without seeing all of her body, Tevos could tell which pose Aria had adopted: feet spread apart, shifting her weight to one full hip. "I thought you'd be asleep by now. Don't tell me you're still at work?"

"Only for a few more minutes," Tevos confessed. She turned off the lights and left the room, speaking into her Omni-tool as she walked. "I'm not looking forward to spending the night alone."

"Wish I could. The kid's been a pain in my ass all day. You try negotiating a weapons deal with a giggling toddler bouncing on your knee. I thought I was going to have to crawl through my Omni-tool and shoot my supplier."

Tevos smiled. She knew Aria wasn't really complaining. She had brought it up to try and lessen her loneliness. "Lycoris is asleep, isn't she? I wish I could talk to her."

"You just talked to her a few hours ago. She's passed out on the couch, drooling on Grizz. In fact..." Her eyes darted over to the side, as if she was looking at something. The Omni-tool tilted, and Tevos laughed as she saw her daughter curled up on the large turian's lap. Both of them were sleeping peacefully, dead to the world.

"You could at least put her in bed, Aria," Tevos said with mild disapproval. "I don't want her to inherit your bad habit of dozing on the furniture."

The view shifted back to Aria, and she rolled her eyes. "You're one to talk, always bringing your Omni-tool to bed. Falling asleep on a comfortable couch is much less troublesome than bringing work into a place that's supposed to be reserved for sleeping and fucking." Tevos noticed the background shifting, and assumed Aria was walking into a separate room to finish their conversation. "So, why did you really call?"

"I miss you," Tevos insisted, leaving the elevator and heading for rapid transit. A cab floated up beside her moments later, and she slipped into the passenger's seat, pausing only long enough to key in her destination. "Is that so strange?"

"A little. I'll be back on the Citadel in ten more days."

Tevos sighed, slumping into her seat as the cab wove into traffic. "But I miss you. I miss your voice…"

Aria snorted. "You mean the voice you're hearing right now?"

"I miss you seeing you…"

"Again, you're looking at me." The camera tilted, panning lower to show a generous amount of smooth purple cleavage tucked between the edges of her white jacket. "Satisfied?"

"Stop that," Tevos said. Her forehead wrinkled in annoyance. "You know what I mean. I miss being near you. I miss your touch. Although I miss you a little less now that I've been reminded of how frustrating you can be."

Instead of continuing to tease her, Aria gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Thea, but Omega's where I belong. Sometimes I need to be here. With my people."

Tevos's annoyance melted away only to be replaced by another surge of love. Sometimes, she still couldn't believe how much Aria had changed. For hundreds of years, Aria had seen Omega as a resource. A tool to be used. An unquestionable possession of hers. But her view had become slightly more nuanced over the years. The station was still a lawless, chaotic place, but Aria felt a certain amount of responsibility for it. Tevos knew her bondmate often thought of the promise she had made to Nyreen and Shepard near the end of the war: To preserve the freedom of Omega's people. Those that didn't cross her, at any rate.

"I know. I'm not faulting you. I just don't want to be alone tonight." Even as she confessed, Tevos felt slightly embarrassed. She had been single for one hundred years before Aria disrupted her perfectly ordered life, and aside from a few brief flings, she had remained celibate for a good portion of that time. Her solitude had never bothered her. But little more than a decade into her relationship with Aria, she was already ruined. She couldn't even appreciate the extra space in their bed when she slept alone anymore.

A thoughtful look crossed Aria's face, and she lowered her voice. "You know, you don't have to be alone tonight. Liara's on the Citadel, too. She's by herself while Shepard and Athena are visiting Earth."

"I'm not sure it would help. Liara's company is always a pleasant distraction, but some of my loneliness is…" She paused, searching for a delicate way to put it. Eventually, she gave up. "Honestly, I need an orgasm and someone to hold me while I fall asleep. I need you."

Aria continued staring at her. "And you'll have me. In ten days. But until then, why not ask Liara for that orgasm? I'm sure she'd hold you, too, if you asked nicely."

Although she had a great deal of practice schooling her facial expressions, Tevos could not conceal her surprise. Her eyes widened, and she sat up straighter in her seat. "That's... an interesting suggestion," she said cautiously, unsure how to feel about it. "But I thought we agreed melding with anyone else was off-limits, and both of us could only see other people together?"

"You decided that. I'm happy to follow those rules if they're something you need, but the thought of you melding with someone else doesn't bother me." Another smile spread across Aria's face, and this time, Tevos recognized it as the seductive smirk that had coaxed her to push past boundaries on so many occasions. "Let's just say I'm confident you'll always come back to me. I'm too good to give up."

Tevos hesitated. She couldn't deny that the offer was tempting. She was incredibly fond of Liara, and just the thought of visiting her made Tevos feel much less lonely. Her body also seemed fond of the idea. The pressure along her lower back became a dull throb, settling directly between her legs. She squirmed in her seat, trying to find a more comfortable position. "It's… tempting. But I'm not sure. She probably isn't awake at this hour."

Aria let out a puff of air and shook her head in disbelief. "Pfft. Yeah, right. You know T'Soni never sleeps. She's always poring over her Shadow Broker feeds. You'd be doing her a favor by fucking her into exhaustion while her bondmate's gone."

"What about Shepard?"

"You won't know if Shepard's given her a pass unless you ask."

Without thinking, Tevos blurted out her real fear. "I'm not ready for you to meld with anyone else."

Aria's expression never faltered. "Then I won't until you are."

"But that isn't fair." Tevos pulled her lower lip between her teeth. "If I'm allowed to meld with other people while you're gone, you should be allowed, too."

"I have a feeling you'll wrap your head around it sooner rather than later. You've always been frustratingly egalitarian. But if things are lopsided for a few years while you reassure yourself that melding with other people won't lessen my commitment to you, I can deal with that."

The cab pulled to a stop, and Tevos took the opportunity to think about her answer. It was no secret that her bondmate's personality veered toward selfishness. She took what she wanted when she wanted, rarely concerning herself with what other people thought. The very nature of her business required it. But instead of following her instincts, Aria was offering her a gift. A gift with no strings attached and no ulterior motives, simply because it would make her happy.

"Aria…"

"Don't overthink this, Thea. We have a daughter together. You're wearing my bracelet on your wrist. Hell, you've even got my tattoo on your ass. One night with Liara isn't going to change any of that."

Some of the knot in her chest unravelled, and she found herself laughing. "When you put it so eloquently, how can I say no?"

"You don't. 'No' isn't a word I hear often."

There was only one more thing to be said. "I love you…"

Aria's eyes darted around, as if she was making sure she was truly alone. "I love you, too," she whispered. "And if you don't make her scream at least as loud as I do, your free pass is revoked."

The call ended, but Tevos continued staring at her wrist. Was she really going to do this? Could she? Now that Aria had put the idea in her head, she couldn't get it out. She imagined running her hand down Liara's smooth stomach, finding purchase on her hip, leaning in to sigh against her neck… But even if she changed her mind, or Liara wasn't willing, the company would help. She glanced out of the window and stared up at her apartment building. The thought of going up to a cold, empty bed made her heart sink.

After a moment's hesitation, she selected another contact and waited for the call to connect. "Liara? Oh, good. You're still awake. Would you mind company? I know it's late, but…"

. . .

"Are you sure I can't get you anything? Wine? A midnight snack?"

Tevos smiled as she watched Liara move through the kitchen, pulling open cabinets and rummaging through drawers without even waiting for her response. "You don't have to play hostess with me," she murmured, leaning back against the breakfast bar. "I only wanted a little company tonight. I'm surprised you're even awake this late."

"You shouldn't be." Liara removed a bottle of wine from its case and set it on the counter. "I've started keeping late hours again since Athena learned to sleep through the night. Shepard disapproves, but..." She turned and smiled, holding an empty glass in each hand. "When the galaxy doesn't need saving, I'm more stubborn than she is."

"Now that doesn't surprise me," Tevos laughed. She took the glass Liara offered and held it out, watching as a waterfall of red rose along its edges. "That's plenty, thank you. I'm going to have a hard enough time sleeping as it is."

Liara proceeded to fill her own glass. "Aria mentioned you might ask to spend the night here while she was gone. She is very… perceptive."

"Oh, really?" The spots on Tevos's forehead rose in surprise, and she paused, holding her glass mid-way to her mouth. "You don't need to be polite about it. The word you're looking for is 'manipulative'."

"It is accurate," Liara admitted. "But it's not all she is, either. She seemed concerned about you."

Tevos set her glass back on top of the bar without taking a sip. She needed to stay sober for the first part of this conversation. "What, exactly, did she tell you?"

"Oh, this and that." Liara took a sip from her own glass and glided back toward the living room. Tevos followed, forcing herself not to look for too long. She and Liara were on intimate terms, but she still wasn't sure her advances would be welcome while they were alone. "She mentioned you don't handle her trips to Omega well. She mentioned you dislike spending the night alone…" Liara sat on the couch, facing toward the fire. It cast her cheeks into shadow, although it did nothing to hide her beautiful smile. "She also might have mentioned that the only thing that puts you to sleep during the busiest part of the Council session is a glass of Thessian red, an orgasm, and a warm body resting on top of yours."

A fierce blush rose in Tevos's cheeks. She hesitated, clenching and unclenching her hands. "She set me up," she muttered, unsure whether to be angry or grateful. It had been presumptuous of Aria to make the pass for her, but at the same time, she couldn't help feeling relieved. It would have been an awkward subject to bring up with Liara despite their shared sexual history.

"Not precisely." Liara patted the empty space next to her, and Tevos sank into it with a sigh. "She laid the groundwork. You were the one who called."

"And what does Shepard think of all this?" Tevos asked. "Did Aria contact her, too? Please, tell me I'm wrong."

Liara laughed, and a pleasant prickle ran across Tevos's skin at the sound. "You're wrong. But I did broach the subject with Shepard myself. After discussing it for a few days, the two of us came to an agreeable compromise."

Tevos could not contain her curiosity. "What sort of compromise?"

"Shepard has given me permission to try melding with you, but only if I include her by recording it. She wants me to send her a copy of the footage."

It was Liara's turn to blush, and Tevos was so distracted by the pretty pastel shade of purple over blue that it took her a moment to process the words. She laughed and took a sip from the glass in her hand. Now that the subject had been broached, it was time for a little liquid courage. "I suppose it isn't any more scandalous than the vids you already have of me and Aria. And no one can encrypt data quite like you."

The brief look of embarrassment on Liara's face shifted to mischievous delight. Her hooded eyes gleamed dark even without the meld. "I could even forward a copy to Aria, if you like. If the two of us decide to do this, I'm sure she would appreciate the visual."

_If the two of us decide to do this._ For some reason, Liara's phrasing made Tevos feel better. The knowledge that Aria had planned for this had set her adrift, and she appreciated the reminder that she was in control of the final decision. She also knew Liara wouldn't hold it against her if she changed her mind, although she was certain she could see more than a hint of hope in the young maiden's eyes. "And what about you?"

Liara's eyes lingered on her face. The pulse point at the bottom of her throat. Her breasts. They even darted down to trail up along her legs - or, at least, what was visible beneath the lines of her dress. "You know I appreciate the visual, too."

Having Liara look at her with such obvious interest was flattering. Tevos was more than confident in her appearance and her skills as a sexual partner, but Liara naturally gravitated toward a certain type of woman. Strong. Muscular. Sexually dominant and just a little dangerous. Women like Shepard and Aria. She certainly didn't fit that role, and she was touched that Liara wanted her anyway.

In the end, she couldn't resist. The attraction ran both ways. Liara stirred something powerful in her even when Aria and Shepard weren't present to direct them. And though she still missed her bondmate fiercely, loneliness wasn't the only thing that pushed her forward. She hesitated, staring at Liara's soft lips, knowing she needed to speak before she could act. "I didn't go home because I was lonely, but I came here because I…"

She searched for a word. What adjective could she use to describe her feelings? Liara had risked her own life to save her more than once. Had been a friend to her, even during difficult times. Tevos admired her. Cared for her. Perhaps even loved her, in a strange way. Aria was her other half, but Liara had become an integral and cherished part of her life over the past several years.

In the end, she didn't need to say anything. "Some things are better said without words." Liara smiled, reaching out to cup her cheek. "I'm yours for tonight, if you want me. The cameras in this room are already connected with my private terminal."

Tevos rolled her eyes, trying not to shiver at the way Liara's palm burned. "Just because you're the Shadow Broker doesn't mean you have to be creepy."

Liara laughed again, although the sound was lower and huskier. "I'm afraid creepiness is an inevitable part of my job. So…?"

"So why aren't you kissing me yet?"

The first brush of Liara's lips stopped her breath. Her heart leapt, and a pulse of want pierced her stomach. They had kissed before, but never while they were alone. Never like this. Liara's mouth was so different than Aria's, so warm and yielding beneath hers. It made her want to press forward with her tongue and explore. She ran her hand along the side of Liara's throat, teasing the sensitive ridges there until she found a grip where her neck ran into her shoulder.

But Liara didn't give her much time to be complacent. The lips beneath hers parted further, asking for more. Tevos groaned into the kiss when she realized she didn't have to resist. She could lead this dance, and Liara wouldn't mind. She would probably even welcome it. She tightened her grip, teasing Liara's skin with the edges of her nails as she gave in.

Liara made a soft whimper of approval as she pushed forward. Their mouths found a better angle, and Tevos shuddered with want as Liara's tongue pressed against hers, inviting her deeper. She tasted sweet beneath the spiced edge of the wine, and Tevos realized with some surprise that the flavor was already familiar. She had become... accustomed to kissing Liara over the past few years. The nervous knot in her stomach loosened a little more.

At last, they pulled apart for air. Liara stared up at her with shimmering eyes, twin blue oceans about to spill over into black. "You're a beautiful kisser, Thea," she sighed, leaning back in until their noses brushed.

The closeness almost tempted Tevos into kissing her again. "So are you. Aria is wonderful, but she doesn't usually kiss me this way."

She didn't have to finish. "I know," Liara laughed, stroking a hand along her side. It settled on top of her thigh, finding a home above her knee. "She burns, doesn't she? Blazes through everything. She kisses you like she wants to consume you. It's almost a mark of ownership."

Tevos looked at Liara in surprise. "I couldn't have found better words. She has her tender moments, but they're few and far between." A soft smile filled her face as she remembered their earlier conversation. She appreciated every loving word Aria spoke, each selfless gesture. Their rarity only made them more precious.

Liara dipped forward, brushing their cheeks together, whispering against the side of her throat. "She loves you very much, you know. I've felt it."

"You have? When?"

"Right before Athena was born. That was the first and only time we melded. She comforted me. I was in a great deal of pain, but I could feel your presence in her thoughts. I'm sure you're always there."

Tevos's heart swelled with affection, not just for her absent bondmate, but for Liara as well. It had been an incredibly kind thing to say, touching and reassuring at the same time. She leaned in again, and the two of them tipped over onto the couch. Liara shifted into a comfortable position beneath her, sliding one thigh along her hip. "Are... are you... sure?" Tevos asked through broken kisses, searching for the hem of Liara's shirt.

"To be honest, I wasn't sure when you called." Liara's fingers laced with hers, guiding her palm up to find warm flesh. "I love Shepard so much. I worried this might diminish what we have, what we've built. But I'm absolutely sure now. I have been since you walked in through my door." She left Tevos's hand in its new home, reaching up to undo the fastening at the base of her neck and ease down the top of her zipper. Tevos trembled at the feel of cool metal sliding along the middle of her back. "Maybe it's this dress. How you manage to look seductive in an outfit that shows almost no skin, I have no idea."

"I hope you won't mind once it's gone."

"On the contrary." Liara pulled her zipper lower, opening her dress all the way to the small of her back. Tevos took the opportunity to lift Liara's shirt, catching her first glimpse of the soft skin she had only felt before. The stomach beneath her hands was flat and muscular, with only a slight curve at the bottom starting just above a horizontal scar. Unlike the streaky bullet-marks that broke across the rest of Liara's body at random points - her side, her thigh, one that rippled over her shoulder - this one hadn't yet begun to fade with the passage of time. Tevos suspected Liara had chosen to keep it on purpose instead of treating it.

Liara noticed where she was looking and smiled. "I thought it would be nice to have at least one scar with a happy memory attached," she said as she pulled her shirt over her head. Tevos swallowed back a whimper as she got her first glimpse of Liara's breasts. Their outline was clearly visible, even beneath her cropped compression shirt. Tevos's hands drifted toward the hem that cut across the middle of Liara's ribs. As she moved to take it off, her dress began slipping down her shoulders. She shrugged the rest of the way out, breaking the warm connection between her hands and Liara's skin for just a moment so she could pull her arms through the sleeves.

"You might as well take it off completely," Liara said, stripping away her undershirt. She tugged it over her head, and the thick violet nipples that capped her breasts stiffened to hard points. Tevos ached to pull one of them between her lips, but ignored the temptation. She shoved her dress over her hips, leaving only her underwear in place.

As soon as she finished undressing, she interrupted Liara's attempts to unfasten her pants. She scattered kisses across Liara's chest, dotting the star of each freckle and making patterns between. Liara gave up on pulling off her pants and arched beneath her, petting the back of her crest, urging her to continue. The downward pressure told Tevos exactly what she wanted, but she continued to linger. Usually, Aria was the one who set their pace, who made her beg for more. She couldn't pass up the rare opportunity to make someone else plead for her attention.

Tevos kissed along the slope of Liara's breast, but didn't pull the hard tip into her mouth. Instead, she made circles around it, teasing the tight little bud with her breath. Her reward was a soft sigh and a powerful shiver that ran all the way through Liara's stomach. "You aren't usually such a tease, Thea," she murmured, stroking the back of her neck. "What's gotten into you?"

"Hopefully your fingers. And your tongue." Tevos flicked the edge of a nipple with her tongue to demonstrate her point, leaving the tip slick. It seemed to throb against the air, and she tightened her hold on Liara's partially-bared hip. Her grip didn't do any good. Liara ground up against her anyway, pushing along her stomach. The teeth of her zipper dug into Tevos's abdomen, but she didn't mind the discomfort. Liara's reactions enthralled her.

"I could get started on that…" Liara's hand left the back of her neck, trying to push between their bodies, but she couldn't reach far enough. "You'll have to move up higher if you want me to touch you."

"Not yet." Although the thought of Liara's hand sliding between her legs made her throb with want, Tevos resisted the impulse. She couldn't waste this chance. She pulled Liara's nipple between her lips, grazing the edge with her teeth and soothing the hard point with light strokes of her tongue. At the same time, her hand slid into Liara's unfastened pants, cupping firmly until she found wetness. The fabric of her underwear was soaked through, and Tevos groaned around her prize.

Aria's words floated through her head, full of smug confidence. _And if you don't make her scream at least as loud as I do, your free pass is revoked…_

She released the tip of Liara's breast with a soft pop when the whimpers coming from beneath her grew too loud. It wouldn't take much to fulfill her promise to Aria and coax Liara into shaking apart beneath her.

"Thea…" Liara's hips pushed greedily into hers, rocking into her hand and searching for more pressure. "Please. I want to be naked."

Tevos increased the pressure of her hand. Teasing Liara was extremely entertaining, but her impatience won out. She wanted to feel Liara's skin against hers without barriers. Her hand slid out of Liara's pants with a mixture of reluctance and eagerness, and she eased them the rest of the way off, tossing them into a pile on the floor.

What she saw when she looked down made her stop and stare in awe. Shepard and Aria had allowed them several opportunities to play. She knew how Liara looked naked. How she tasted. How it felt to touch her. But for some reason, the sight was even more magnificent than usual. Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, and the tips of her breasts strained against the air. The sheets of muscle along her stomach shivered in anticipation. Her legs were spread in invitation, and between them… Tevos gasped as she admired the swollen, parted lips of Liara's azure and the sweeping curve of her clit. She was already dripping, shimmering.

Before she reached out, her eyes flicked back up, searching Liara's face for reassurance. The sight she found there was even more enchanting than every other part of her body put together. The beautiful bow of her lips had melted into a sweet, almost loving smile, and her soft blue eyes were already edged with black. "Please?" Liara reached out, urging her closer. "Touch me."

Tevos bent down to take Liara's lips. Her tongue pushed forward, and so did her fingers, plunging into soft, welcoming warmth. Hot muscle clamped around her knuckles, but she felt no resistance as she eased inside. Liara was more than ready for her. Tevos hooked her fingers forward and up, correcting herself as she went. She was so accustomed to Aria's preferences that it took a few adjustments to remember how Liara's body worked.

It didn't take her long to discover the right spot. Liara required more force than she was used to giving, but although the muscles in her wrists burned, she was able to pick up a satisfactory pace. Liara's responses made it more than obvious when she stumbled upon the perfect amount of pressure. When Tevos's thrusts rubbed against the swollen, ridged patch just past her entrance, her soft sighs became moans of approval. "Goddess, yes… Harder…"

Tevos smirked and sped up her rhythm, latching onto a tempting shoulder with her teeth. She supposed Liara was used to rough treatment. Shepard had a gentle soul and equally gentle intentions, but Tevos knew from personal experience that the Commander found it difficult to control the strength packed into her powerful body. Liara had used a rather charming human expression to describe her once: a bull in a china shop.

In an effort to earn even more sharp, beautiful cries, Tevos set about leaving a mark on Liara's neck. She nipped the tender place where Liara's pulse hammered in her throat, sucking in time with her thrusts. Soon, Liara was keening beneath her. She could feel the hard ridge of the maiden's clit throbbing against the base of her palm, and she deliberately rubbed against it.

"Thea…"

At first, her name sounded strange to her ears. She was used to hearing it in Aria's voice. But as Liara repeated it, as it sank into her head, the new pitch became more and more familiar. "Thea… Thea…" _Thea._ Tevos gasped as Liara's consciousness reached out for hers, not pushing forward, but cautiously asking for entrance. She let go of Liara's throat and looked into her eyes. They spilled over in endless pools of black, and the yearning in them took her breath away.

"Li…" _...ara?_ Her hand stopped moving, and she froze, holding perfectly still above Liara's quivering body.

_Thea._ Their connection wasn't quite a mating meld, only deep enough to transmit words, but Tevos could hear the love and affection wrapped around her name even in Liara's thoughts. _Do you want this?_ Liara's hand stroked down between her shoulderblades, smoothing over the column of her spine. _Do you… want me?_

Tevos was experienced enough to sense the slight insecurity in the question. Liara's nervousness was almost sweet. _Of course. You aren't nervous, are you?_

_No… no. It's just that I've never… Shepard was my first. I've haven't shared the union like this with anyone else._

Tevos regained control of her limbs and shifted further up along Liara's body, drawing her lips into a slow, hot kiss. Liara's mind went blank for several seconds, clutching a little more tightly to hers. _I'm honored,_ she thought as she pulled away, trailing the backs of her fingers along Liara's flushed, freckled cheek. _Do you want me to guide you?_

_Please._

A soft smile spread across Tevos's face as she rested their foreheads together, gazing down into Liara's dark eyes. _You are an amazing woman, Liara T'Soni. Relax. Embrace Eternity._

Tevos reached forward gently, but her cautiousness wasn't needed. Despite her professed inexperience, the outer layers of Liara's soul blossomed open at the first touch. The mind linked with hers invited her in, and she slid forward just as effortlessly as her fingers had pushed into Liara's azure.

What she found sent her reeling. Tevos had melded with her fair share of asari over the years, but none had minds like Liara. The landscape of her psyche was covered in rippling scars, clearly earned through pain. The outlines of grief had mostly turned to wisdom, but the suffering she had endured was unmistakable, almost unimaginable. Tevos had to collect herself for several moments before she even dared to draw close.

But running beneath the gnarls and twists was something strong and pure. It thrummed with life and energy, and as Tevos untangled the mess around it, the beacon shone bright enough to bathe everything else. _Love._ _Shepard._ The depth of Liara's love was beyond words. Shepard was her reason for being. Her hope. Her strength. Her everything. The only thing Tevos could compare it to was the fierce, burning devotion Aria sent to her when they were at their most connected.

Other lines fed into the light, and she followed one, basking in its brilliance. _Athena. _Liara's love for her daughter was as clear as her love for Shepard. Tevos recognized it instantly. The protectiveness. The pride. The tenderness. Liara loved Athena with everything she was. There were other loves, too. A whole flood of them, swirling around together. _Aethyta. Benezia. Garrus. Tali. Miranda. Jack. Wrex. Aria._ _Lycoris. _And then, sharp and clear and beautiful: _I love you, Thea._

Tears welled in Tevos's eyes. She couldn't stop them even when they ran down her cheeks and dripped onto Liara's face. Liara loved her. Not in the same way that she loved Shepard - and not in the same way that Tevos loved Aria. Such a love was beyond words. But Liara loved her nonetheless, and she wasn't at all surprised to find that she felt the same. She regained control of the trembling thread that bound them and folded Liara into herself, drawing her deeper. _I love you, too._

At first, Liara's mind had seemed ancient beyond its years. Tevos had never felt a more powerful presence wrapped up in hers, except perhaps for Aria's. But beneath everything else, Liara was still a maiden, excited and giddy with happiness over her new discovery. _I'm relieved. So… what happens now?_

_Now, I show you._

It took an effort of will to reconnect with her physical side after losing herself in Liara's mind, but somehow, Tevos managed. Still overwhelmed by the strength of Liara's emotions, she began curling her fingers, searching for the special spot she had already memorized. The meld helped her find it with even more accuracy. Liara cried out and bucked beneath her, and Tevos felt a trail of wetness pulse from her own azure and roll along her thigh. Sensations blurred, bodies twined, and they sank into a shared rhythm.

_Goddess, Thea…_

Tevos returned her mouth to the mark she had already left on Liara's neck. She skimmed over it gently at first before sucking the bruised skin, enjoying the mixture of sweetness and salt. Her curls became forceful thrusts, although she maintained just enough gentleness to show her affection. Each pump of her hand forced an answering throb from between her own legs, and she fed her desire into Liara's until they blended and swelled together. _You don't have to hold back,_ Tevos thought, tracing her tongue along the strained column of Liara's throat. _Not with me. I want to give you everything you need._ She couldn't tell when pleasing Liara had become her focus instead of forgetting her loneliness, but it didn't matter. In this moment, she wanted to make Liara come more than anything else.

Liara did not answer with words. Instead, Tevos felt a brief spike of uncertainty and the creeping edge of fear. Liara was quickly reaching her limit, and part of her was afraid to tip over the edge. _I… I don't know if I…_

_Here._ Tevos changed the angle of her hand, thrusting as deep as possible and twisting her hand so that she could stroke across the stiff, swollen ridge of Liara's clit. Its hood was already peeled back, and the pad of her thumb glided effortlessly over its tip. _Let me help._ Liara moaned and writhed beneath her, but it still wasn't quite enough. Tevos knew she needed one last push. _Remember that Shepard is watching you,_ she thought. A picture of the camera flashed from Liara's mind to hers, tucked in a corner above the fireplace. Along with it came a wave of reassurance, and Tevos knew she was on the right track. _Watching us. Watching me make you come._

_Thea…_ "Shepard!"

The pulsing light inside of Liara burst into a thousand stars. She fell into a series of shudders, and Tevos followed, clutching tight as they both fell apart. She shared each ripple that ran through Liara's tense body, every wave of bliss that crashed over her. Their lips met, and the rest of them followed, locking tight together. Wetness rushed out around Tevos's hand, spilling into her palm and running in a river down her wrist. If she hadn't been so preoccupied with Liara's mouth, she gladly would have kissed her way down the maiden's quivering stomach to swallow it. Instead, she could only swallow Liara's shouts as they both savored their first shared release.

"I love you," Liara sighed out loud when the heavy, thick pulses faded to aftershocks.

Even though she already knew the answer, Tevos couldn't help asking. "Was that for Shepard, or for me?"

"For both of you," Liara said in a quivering voice. "Always."

Tevos braced herself on her elbow, gently withdrawing her fingers from their snug home. At first, Liara was reluctant to let them go. Clinging muscle tightened around her, but she managed to slide free with a little effort. "How did I manage to get so lucky?" she asked, leaning down to kiss Liara's glistening forehead.

"You're about to get luckier." With a surprising burst of strength, especially after the pleasure she had just experienced, Liara reversed their positions, using a flare of blue energy to flip her onto her back. Tevos gasped as her shoulders hit the cushions, but did not protest as Liara climbed on top of her, breasts swaying and lips curled in an eager smile. "I need to repay the favor. You were wonderful."

"Flatterer."

Liara's dark eyes narrowed, and Tevos gasped as she felt the connection between them being reestablished. This time, Liara's mind was the one that cradled hers. Its force surprised her all over again, but she was only too glad to surrender. She lowered the walls that surrounded the outer edges of her thoughts, allowing Liara free access as a hot mouth trailed down from her sternum to her navel. _Funny,_ Liara thought, nipping a tender patch of skin above the swell of her left hipbone. _I've used that word to describe Shepard on more than one occasion…_

Tevos tipped her head back against the couch and clutched the back of Liara's crest. That wicked tongue was trailing lower, lower, dipping down to tease the crease where her thigh joined her torso. A few more inches, and Liara's warm breath would be directly over her azure. _Please,_ Tevos thought, letting one of her knees fall off the couch so she could spread her legs. _Go ahead. I've wanted to know what coming in your mouth feels like ever since the first time you tasted me…_

A shared memory stretched between them, of Tevos's back jammed into the edge of a dresser as Liara's hot lips sealed around the hard ridge of her clit. It was the first of many times that Liara's talented mouth had brought her to the edge, but she had always used Aria's mind to finish.

Liara let out a happy sigh as she copied the picture. Her lips found purchase, and Tevos's pelvis jerked as she rocked forward into the sweet, tempting warmth. _Me too._

_I won't last long. You… undo me in ways I can't explain._

_You don't have to explain._ Liara pushed deeper into her mind, and at the same moment, two fingers swirled around her entrance, easing forward to fill her. _I can feel everything._

Tevos smiled, although her hips continued shifting, eager for more penetration. _Why didn't we do this years ago?_

_We weren't ready. We needed time._

And then there wasn't room for any more questions. The burn of Liara's mouth was too intense. Her soft lips were too perfect. Tevos began to tremble, and instead of fighting against release, she gave in to it. She clung to the mind within hers, and her nails dug into Liara's shoulders in an effort to pull her even closer. Firm hands clutched her hips, holding her in place, and a cry cracked in her throat. Her muscles fluttered around Liara's fingers, throbbing, twitching in time with her frantic heartbeat.

For a brief, painful moment, the heat receded. "Thea, please…" Liara murmured against her, still skimming the tip of her clit. Tevos was momentarily confused when Liara spoke aloud, but felt her front wall throb even harder as she remembered the camera. Liara was speaking for Aria and Shepard's benefit. "Come for me? Come with me?"

Liara's request pushed her over the edge, much like her own coaxing had eased Liara into their first orgasm. Her body stiffened, then collapsed into a shivering mess. She locked up around Liara's fingers, screaming to the ceiling as she drew from the ties that bound them. She gave all she was, sharing her pleasure, her joy, her love until both of them were overflowing with it. In the same heartbeat, she released a flood into Liara's mouth, grinding forward against her chin.

Instead of ending all at once, the release of pressure lingered for several moments. She sighed and flopped further over the arm of the couch, content to remain tucked in the warmth of Liara's mind as her body eased back down. They didn't part all at once, physically or mentally. Liara's fingers remained inside her, and their souls remained bound as they eased into a comfortable spooning position. Tevos gazed down fondly at Liara's gorgeous face, admiring her glistening cheeks, her chin, the subtle shadows that traveled down her throat and lead to the lovely dip between her breasts...

That finally prompted Tevos to withdraw from their meld. Some thoughts were simply to embarrassing to share, even with a lover.

"You didn't have to leave so soon," Liara said, sounding ever so slightly disappointed at the broken connection. She withdrew her hand, and Tevos groaned with a mixture of relief and disappointment as she watched Liara set about cleaning her lips with a soft purple tongue.

"I was just thinking…"

"Oh?" Liara stopped what she was doing and settled back down. "What about?"

Tevos blushed, but eventually decided to explain. Liara had already been inside her head. Keeping secrets felt trivial, even foolish, after what they had shared. "For a moment, you reminded me of… Well,when I was a maiden, I had a horrible crush on Matriarch Benezia. If someone had told me then that I would end up here, making love to her daughter several centuries later, I would have thought they were absolutely insane."

A look of horror crossed Liara's face, but after a few moments, she broke down laughing. She tucked her face into Tevos's neck, trying to stifle her giggles by trailing a few kisses along the line of her collarbone. "Oh, Goddess. You're worse than my father." Tevos began to apologize, but Liara silenced her with a soft bite to the side of her throat. "It is amusing, though. I can see why it would make you laugh." Liara snuggled further into her chest, shivering with delight before going limp again. "So? Was melding with a member of House T'Soni everything you dreamed?"

Tevos laughed, pushing herself upright so that she could reach Liara's lips. They kissed, and this time, her shared taste travelled between both their tongues. "And more," she murmured into Liara's mouth. "So much more…"

Liara laughed, lacing their slick fingers together in a tight, intimate hold. "It was more intense than I expected. Better than I hoped. Just like you were."

They settled into a comfortable silence, resting together until their bodies grew uncomfortably warm. "Perhaps we should put out the fire and go to the bedroom?" Tevos asked as she began to untangle their sticky limbs.

A mischievous smile crossed Liara's face, and for once, she actually looked her age. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. Let me just get my Omni-tool first. I have a promise to keep, and two unfortunate women to torture."

Tevos's tattoos rose questioningly on her forehead. "Don't you mean fortunate?"

"Absolutely not. They're still stuck away from the Citadel. Our bondmates won't be able to find any relief until they come home to us… especially yours."

The thought of Aria watching the recording made Tevos mirror Liara's evil smirk. "Send it. I can't wait to see her reaction."

. . .

The blaring noise of her Omni-tool pierced the pleasant fog that swirled through Tevos's head. Reluctantly, she shifted her head from its comfortable spot and cracked open one blurry eye, trying to remember where she had left it. The nightstand beside her wasn't familiar, and neither was the window beyond. She frowned in confusion at first, then relaxed as she remembered where she was: away from her apartment, wrapped in Liara's arms.

That pleasant thought was almost enough to make her drift off again, but the buzzing continued. She reached out, shifting just enough to reach her Omni-tool without disturbing the still form beside her. Liara was still fast asleep, smiling softly as she dozed. Tevos didn't have the heart to wake her. Instead, she resolved to be as quiet as possible. Once she checked the name to make sure she wouldn't need her clothes, she switched on the screen. "Good morning, Aria. Try to stay quiet. Liara hasn't woken up yet."

Aria's shoulders bristled. Her eyes glowed with ferocious energy, perhaps a hint of biotics. Her lips were pressed into a hard line, but Tevos could sense the barest hint of a smile struggling to break through the cold façade. "Are you trying to torture me?"

Tevos smiled and shook her head, refusing to answer.

"This was Liara's idea, wasn't it? She put you up to this. I want to talk to her. That devious little pureblood bitch..."

"You can discuss it with her later," Tevos whispered, cutting Aria off before she could truly get started. She had a feeling that said 'discussion' would probably leave Liara incredibly sore afterward, but she didn't mention it. She wiggled the rest of the way out of Liara's arms, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and heading for the bathroom. There, she could have a little more privacy without disturbing her host.

Once they were out of earshot, the volume of Aria's voice rose to a growl. "She isn't the only one in for it. Enjoy your fun while it lasts, Tevos. Once I get home, I'm going to make you pay for every fucking second of your little vid. The rest of the Council isn't going to be able to sit down for a week, and you'll feel it for two."

Tevos had no doubt that Aria's threats were serious, but she could tell her bondmate wasn't really angry. The longer she pretended, the more cracks appeared in her act until her smile stretched all the way across her face. It wasn't often that Tevos got to see Aria lose control of her reactions. She savored the moment, resting her free elbow back against the counter and lounging in a seductive pose. "Your complaints would be a lot more convincing if you weren't grinning like a vorcha. Admit it. You enjoyed the surprise."

Aria snorted. "Maybe. But obviously not as much as you." She hesitated, and Tevos saw an echo of her own impatience reflected in Aria's body language as she shifted her balance. "It's only nine more days, right?"

"Only nine more days," Tevos said, doing her best to sound soothing. "Then, I'll make sure to give you all the orgasms you want. And if you say 'please' and 'thank you' instead of insulting her, Liara might even be willing to help…"

That made Aria do a double take. "I thought you weren't ready to let me meld with anyone else?"

"I changed my mind. I suppose I proved to myself last night that a beautiful woman like Liara can only enhance our relationship. If you want permission to meld with her and Shepard, I'm happy to let you."

"Just them?" Aria asked, forehead creasing.

"For now. I still want a say in who you join with. But the two of them are dear friends."

Liara and Shepard were more than that, but Tevos didn't need to say so. Both of them understood.

Aria gave her a small nod. "Fair enough. I'll try to keep my hands off the dancers until I get home."

Tevos sighed and shook her head, giving her beloved bondmate a smile full of love. "You can't even pretend to make me jealous anymore, Aria T'Loak. I know you too well."

"Thea?" The sound of a voice calling from the next room made Tevos abandon her pose and look over her shoulder. She caught a glimpse of naked blue flesh passing by the partially-open door. "Where did you go?"

"In here, Liara," she answered. Aria's face brightened with interest, but Tevos shook her head no. "You can "talk" to her when you get back to the Citadel, Aria. Until then, she's mine."

"Fine. Send more vids." Aria hesitated, and a rare, gentle smile took the place of her amused smirk for a few precious seconds. "I love you. Always."

Tevos's heart filled to the brim at those words. Aria still didn't say them often, but they were always sincere. "I love you, too."

The call ended just as Liara slipped into the door. "What are you doing in here, Thea? Did you want to use the hot tub?"

"Nothing important," Tevos lied, shutting down her Omni-tool and slipping the band off her wrist. She set it on the counter and pulled Liara into her arms before she could take notice. "The hot tub sounds lovely. But first…" Their bodies slid together, and she dipped forward for a good morning kiss. There would be plenty of time to tell Liara about Aria's amusing reaction later. First, she wanted to enjoy what was left of this perfect morning.


	2. Chapter 2

My supporters on voted for me to continue this story for the month of June. Here is the result! This chapter is Aria/Liara, and it looks like I'm doing Shepard and Tevos's first meld for the third chapter.

If you wanna know what I'm talking about: www dot dot com / raedmagdon

**. . .**

**Chapter Two: **_Aria/Liara_

Aria watched Liara and Shepard converse on the security monitor, trying to avoid Tevos's unhappy glare at the same time. Her bondmate really had no right to be annoyed over something so trivial. Of all the crimes she had committed, eavesdropping ranked pretty low on the list. '_If reading lips can even be considered eavesdropping,'_ she thought sulkily, ignoring Tevos's folded arms and her long, drawn-out sigh. She stayed focused on the screen, staring as Liara reached out to caress Shepard's arm. The gesture was clearly meant to be comforting, and the pit of Aria's stomach sank. If Shepard needed reassurance, that meant things weren't as good as she had hoped.

A hand settled on Aria's shoulder, and she flinched until Tevos began kneading the stiff muscles there. "They haven't even rung the bell yet. Give them a moment to talk."

Aria didn't respond. She relaxed under the touch, but her eyes remained fixed on the monitor. She didn't know enough English to understand Shepard, but even without activating the audio, she could tell what Liara was saying.

_'Are you sure?'_

Those three simple words made her heart sink. She hadn't realized how invested she was in melding with Liara until being confronted with the possibility that it might not happen. In the past, rejection had never mattered to her, and was practically nonexistent anyway. Few people said no to the Queen of Omega. But the thought that she might have come so close only to be turned down...

Aria watched Shepard's face carefully. There was a slight furrow in the middle of the Commander's brow, and her stance was even more rigid than usual. But as soon as Liara's hand brushed her sleeve, her face melted into a smile. She let out a deep sigh, and whatever weight she was carrying seemed to lift. When Shepard nodded her head yes, Aria let out her own sigh of relief. She finally allowed herself to look away from the screen. "Done spying, are you?" Tevos asked with a mixture of fondness and disapproval.

Aria didn't answer. "Why wasn't there any tension before Liara melded with you?" she asked instead, tilting her head a little so Tevos could continue rubbing her neck.

"Is that supposed to be a rhetorical question?"

"Do you always need to be so sarcastic?"

Tevos laughed and shook her head. "You prefer me that way. And I think it's more than obvious why Shepard might be uneasy about allowing Liara to meld with you."

Although Aria hated to admit it, Tevos had a point. She was selfish where Tevos was generous, stubborn where Tevos was diplomatic, brash where Tevos was subtle. She was not an easy person to meld with, nor was she an easy person to trust. The fact that Tevos had grown to trust her, even love her, was a minor miracle in and of itself. Expecting the same trust without any signs of hesitation from an established couple who already had a daughter and a life apart from hers was, perhaps, expecting too much.

As always, her bondmate read her emotions. Warm lips brushed the knot of her spine, and Tevos's hands cradled her hips, guiding her in a slow sway. "I don't need to meld with you to know what you're feeling right now," she whispered. "You're afraid. And you're afraid of what being afraid means."

It was true. In her experience, fear and sex mixed together usually meant bad things. There had been Liselle's father, Nyreen, Tevos... especially Tevos. Fearing for her bondmate's life on a regular basis wasn't exactly pleasant. Whenever someone new was added to the short list of people she cared about, they became another chink in her armor. Another opportunity to be hurt. But with Liara and Shepard, it was too late to reverse the damage. Melding was only the culmination of what she already felt.

Before she could give voice to her thoughts, Tevos's chin tucked over her shoulder. "Look again," she whispered, letting go of her hip and pointing.

In a rare show of obedience, Aria looked. Liara held Shepard's face in her cupped hands, and their foreheads rested together. Although her eyes were closed, Aria knew they were shot through with black. For once in her long and colorful life, she felt guilty for intruding on something that wasn't her business. Perhaps Tevos's feelings on the subject had taken root in her after all. If Shepard was a disease that spread compassion where it wasn't wanted, Tevos's moral streak might very well kill her.

When Tevos's lips touched her throat again to provide enough contact for a meld, Aria didn't resist. She lowered her barriers, letting her lover sift through her insecurities, her confusion, all the unstable emotions she usually buried. Tevos was skilled at what she did, and Aria allowed her to pick apart the knot._ 'You don't have to be afraid of this. Caring for someone else isn't weakness.'_

Each reassurance put her heartstrings back in order, and she went limp in Tevos's arms. She didn't often seek comfort, even in the safety of her bondmate's mind, but she couldn't deny that she needed it this time. Since she was already vulnerable, she sent Tevos a rare, affectionate thank-you without worrying about how it would make her look. _'What did I do to deserve you?'_

_'You're not as prickly as you seem from the outside. And the way you wear that jacket helps.'_

Gently, Tevos withdrew from her mind, and Aria returned to herself feeling much calmer than before. She turned in Tevos's embrace, and the two of them shared one last mental caress before they parted. "Thanks, babe."

"Another rare occurrence," Tevos teased, lacing their fingers together and squeezing her gloved hands. "You're unusually affectionate and polite today. I should invite Liara and Shepard over more often."

Aria didn't take the bait. Instead, she continued studying the soft contours of Liara's face. Her eyes had opened, and their color had returned to a lighter blue. "What was it like?" she asked, folding her hands over Tevos's to keep them firmly on her hips.

Tevos didn't ask her to clarify what 'it' was. "Intense. I've never known a mind like hers before. But if you're concerned she won't be strong enough to handle you, don't worry. She's more than up to the task."

"Really?" Aria asked, allowing a little skepticism to creep into her voice. "From what I saw on that vid you sent, the two of you fell into each other's arms like old lovers. You could've played the Blue Azure soundtrack from Vaenia and it wouldn't have been out of place."

Tevos laughed and let her go. "I'll admit you're right, but don't feel obligated to meld with her the way I did. You don't have sex with her the way I do. Why should the union be any different?"

It was a good point, but before she could say so, the bell rang. The noise sent a spike of startled anticipation through her chest, one that she tried valiantly to ignore. She didn't want to appear too nervous or too eager. It simply wouldn't do for the Queen of Omega to be anything but calm and cool, even in front of those she trusted. Besides, she knew Liara was somewhat sexually invested in her performance. With centuries of practice, she was able to collect herself and press the button beneath the screen. "You're late, T'Soni," she drawled.

An adorable look of annoyance crossed Liara's face. It was almost identical to the expression Tevos gave her whenever she did something objectionable but unsurprising. "Isn't it a bit hypocritical of you to complain about my tardiness? You never make any of your appointments on time."

Tevos stifled a laugh behind her.

"True," Aria admitted, "but I'm always late on purpose. You're just late."

"What about Shepard?" Liara asked, nodding over at her bondmate. "For all you know, it could have been her fault."

Shepard held up her hands in protest. "No. Uh-uh. I'm not getting involved in this. You two do whatever you need to work through your sexual tension, but I'm staying out of it."

Aria opened the door and stepped aside, allowing their guests to enter the apartment. Liara went in for an embrace first, and she returned it, trailing her fingertips along the column of the maiden's spine. She knew she had been successful when Liara sucked in a sharp breath beside her cheek. "It's only a hug, T'Soni," she teased, enjoying the way Liara shifted against her, torn between pulling away in embarrassment and snuggling closer.

The points of Liara's cheeks flushed a vivid shade of purple beneath her freckles. "You know, lies aren't nearly as effective when they're the only thing coming out of your mouth."

Aria let her lips hover a few inches away from Liara's, but she didn't dip forward. It wasn't quite the right moment. "And how much time do you spend staring at my mouth?"

Liara huffed and didn't answer, but they lingered in each other's arms for a few more moments as Shepard and Tevos shared a kiss beside them. It was much deeper than a simple greeting between friends required, but also clearly affectionate. "How does a stiff drink and some Blasto sound, Shepard?" Tevos asked once they pulled apart. "I think I could be persuaded to watch a few explosions."

"Can we watch Blasto Cures The Genophage?" Shepard asked hopefully.

"Do you want your blowjob before, or after?"

A strangled sound of embarrassment caught in Shepard's throat, and she coughed several times. "I, uh… I didn't mean..."

"Well, I'm not going to do it during the vid," Tevos teased. "Blasto isn't exactly what I would call erotic." She let go of Shepard and turned toward Liara, opening her arms. "Come here," she murmured, and Aria felt a small sense of loss when the warm body against hers shifted away. She surrendered her hold on Liara's waist, watching with interest as she and Tevos melted into each other. The kiss they shared was sweet and familiar, and Aria was reminded once again of the vid Tevos had sent during her last trip to Omega.

When the two of them didn't part after several moments, she shared a sidelong glance with Shepard. "Should we kiss too, or is it awkward without Tevos on her hands and knees between us?"

Shepard let out a snort of laughter. "Omega, Petrovsky, a kiss I totally wasn't prepared for... Ringing any bells?"

"You enjoyed it," Aria insisted. She had to admit that Shepard's sexual energy was a refreshing contrast to Tevos and Liara's, but tonight, she was far too on edge to play those sorts of power games with another top.

Fortunately, Shepard was her friend as well as her occasional lover, and seemed to understand that she wasn't in the mood without being told. "As one of my former squadmates once said: In another time, in another life..."

"Really?" Aria's forehead tattoo arched in surprise. "Which squadmate was that?"

Shepard's embarrassment returned, and she rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh..."

"I believe we'll save that story for another day," Liara interrupted. She left Tevos's embrace and stepped smoothly between them, giving Shepard's arm the same reassuring caress she had used earlier. Shepard relaxed in an instant, and Liara leaned in to tuck a wisp of choppy red hair behind her ear. Her voice stayed low, meant only for Shepard, but it wasn't quite soft enough to hide what she was saying. "Go enjoy yourself with Tevos. I love you." Her fingers toyed with the woven band around Shepard's wrist, stroking the skin there with her thumb. "Your wife loves you."

Aria's eyes darted over to Tevos. From the glowing smile on her face, she could tell her bondmate had heard the whispered reassurance as well and approved. While Liara pulled Shepard in for one last kiss, Aria let her hand run across the firm swell of Tevos's backside, stopping over her tattoo in a possessive gesture. She knew its exact placement even while it was covered. "Don't wear that pretty mouth of yours out on Shepard," she said, letting her breath skim along Tevos's neck until she had earned a shiver. "I've got plans for it later once I put T'Soni through her paces."

"Be gentle with her," Tevos whispered, a hint of warning in her voice.

Aria did a double take. "What? She'd be disappointed if I was gentle. Besides, she's used to Shepard. The woman's stronger than a fully-grown alpha varren."

"I meant with her mind. It's... well, you'll see."

Tevos didn't have time to explain further. Shepard and Liara had parted, both looking happy and more than a little disheveled. Sensing her cue, Aria gave Tevos's ass a light slap before sliding her arm around Liara's waist instead. "I'll bring her back in a little while, Shepard. She might have a few new bruises once I'm done, but I promise to return her to you in good working order."

Thankfully, there was no hint of jealousy or insecurity on Shepard's face. The moment outside the apartment and their farewell kiss seemed to have done the trick. She winked and took Aria's place, cupping Tevos's ass on the side without the tattoo. "Hey, take your time. Between Tevos and Blasto, I've got plenty of entertainment."

"You were wise to list me first," Tevos quipped, nipping affectionately at the lobe of Shepard's ear. The Commander made a low moaning sound, and Aria felt the vibration of Liara's laugh against her side. Holding her felt different than holding Tevos, but they were still an excellent fit. "Come on, Shepard. I'll pour your drink."

"How many credits do you want to bet that they end up on the counter?" Liara wondered aloud as Shepard and Tevos disappeared into the kitchen.

Aria snorted. "I don't make stupid bets." She paused, preparing to offer a choice between the dungeon and the bedroom, but she didn't get another word out. Warm lips caught hers, and she completely forgot what she had been going to say. She held perfectly still at first, taken by surprise. Although Liara had kissed her countless times before, it felt different with the understanding of what they were about to do. What should have been familiar suddenly wasn't, and Aria's heartbeat picked up speed. She never would have admitted it aloud, but she felt out of her element despite her centuries of experience.

Soon, her instincts took over. She draped her arm around Liara's waist, pulling her even closer, and teased apart the seam of her lips. This time, it was Liara's heartbeat that thundered. Aria could feel it where their bodies touched. As she re-learned the sweetness of Liara's mouth, the maiden's hands came up to clutch the collar of her jacket, making sure she couldn't pull back. Normally, Aria would have complained. Tevos was the only one who could get away with treating her favorite piece of clothing so roughly. But something restrained her, and the only punishment she offered was a firm nip to Liara's lower lip as their kiss broke.

"Bedroom?" Liara murmured, her blue eyes already much darker than usual.

"Dungeon. If you wanted gentle, you should have asked Tevos."

A sweet, deceptively innocent smile spread across Liara's face. "Later. Right now, I want you."

Aria was almost tempted to pull Liara into another kiss. Tasting her once hadn't been enough, but remembering how responsive the rest of Liara's body was convinced her to hurry. She slipped into the role both of them were most comfortable with, fixing Liara with a hungry, half-lidded stare and nodding her head in the direction of the coat closet. "Elevator. Hurry."

Liara gave a reluctant whimper as they parted, but she obeyed without question. A shiver traveled through her as she turned toward the coat closet and opened the door. Aria had planned to avoid more physical contact until they made it downstairs to heighten the tension, but she couldn't resist the firm swell of Liara's ass. Her hand skimmed its curve, much the same way she had touched Tevos earlier, and she had to swallow a groan as she imagined covering it with several of the bruises she had promised Shepard.

After what felt like an eternity, the elevator opened. Instead of stepping, they stumbled, and Aria's hands found their way to Liara's hips. They were kissing again before the door closed, and this time, Aria didn't bother checking her reactions. She couldn't play the cool, disassociated top tonight, and she didn't feel like forcing it. Liara was going to get a glimpse of her mind anyway. She might as well use the chaotic storm of emotions she felt.

As soon as the lift stopped, she fisted the hem of Liara's shirt and dragged her into the dungeon. She savored the sweet cries spilling into her mouth, the burn of Liara's lips against hers, and the trembling shudders that rocked them both. Their hands knew each other, and they left a trail of clothes behind as they staggered toward the couch. Liara's lab coat came off first, tossed aside without a single glance. Her shirt was next, and Aria helped her take it off between short, hard kisses, groaning when she saw the beautiful strip of blue skin above her pants. A little more of her control slipped, and she wished she wasn't wearing her gloves. Her palms ached to feel Liara without any barriers. She let go long enough to peel them away, determined to drink in the warmth of her lover's flesh uninhibited.

Liara set to work on the rest of their clothes as they tumbled onto the nearest couch. Buckles and straps loosened, and several zippers were pulled down. Aria noticed with some smugness that Liara wordlessly urged her to delay the removal of her infamous white jacket until the last moment, and appeared almost regretful as she moved to throw it into the pile on the floor. "I can keep it on if you want," she teased as she finished unfastening her corset. "I know you've got a thing for leather."

"Unfortunately," Liara sighed as she kicked off her underwear. "But I also have a 'thing' for you, so my taste might be questionable."

Aria had to swallow a laugh. She pulled the jacket back on instead of setting it aside, enjoying Liara's delighted expression as she climbed onto the couch. "You've been spending too much time around Tevos. I don't know where this sarcastic streak is coming from. What happened to the shy, innocent maiden Shepard told me you used to be?"

"How can you miss her if you've never even met her?" Liara asked, shifting beneath her on the couch. Their naked thighs brushed, and Aria shivered, letting her hands wander up the landscape of Liara's body to cup her breasts. They were more than a handful, and beautifully firm, with thick nipples that pushed insistently into the center of her palms. "And honestly, would you have been interested in an awkward, virginal scientist? I doubt I was your type then."

Aria stopped squeezing for a moment to circle the stiff tips with the pads of her thumbs. "Definitely," she murmured between wet kisses to the line of Liara's jaw. "I enjoy corrupting innocent maidens, even if I am a bit out of practice thanks to Tevos."

Liara gave a happy sigh, arching further into the attention. "Have you forgotten that I'm the Shadow Broker? I'm afraid I've already been corrupted."

"I don't mind." Aria dipped down for one last deep, tongue-swirling kiss before she untangled herself from Liara's arms and left the couch. Liara bit her lower lip and aimed a pleading look in her direction, but she ignored it. "It opens up… interesting possibilities." Her expression hardened, and she adjusted her posture, holding herself in a way that allowed no room for argument. "On your hands and knees, T'Soni. I'm going to warm you up a little before I fuck you."

Liara's teasing, flirtatious aura faded, and Aria waited to see what it would be replaced with. She didn't know whether she would receive obedience or stubborn resistance, and she wasn't even sure which she wanted. After a moment's hesitation, Liara followed the order. She flipped over onto her stomach and rose to her hands and knees without a word. Aria smirked. "Good girl," she said again, watching carefully for a reaction to the praise. When Liara's lips twitched into a smile, she was satisfied. She walked the length of the couch, approaching the end and pausing to enjoy the view.

The sight before her was almost too lovely. She stared in awe at the curve of Liara's ass, her sleek legs, the twin dimples at the base of her spine. The smooth expanse of her back was beautiful despite the bullet scars, and her full breasts swayed a little with every shaking breath she took. Aria let her fingers ghost over the unbroken skin of Liara's thigh, trailing up until she was one slip away from the maiden's glistening lips. With Liara in this position, she could see everything. Every spill of wetness, every shudder.

A hint of the tenderness she felt finally broke through. "I think I might be a little in love with you, T'Soni," she said before she could think better of it.

Liara turned to look over her shoulder, and Aria met her eyes. She hadn't thought any part of Liara's body could be more perfect than the prize between her legs, but the soft, delighted expression of surprise on her face was too beautiful for words. She opened her mouth to speak, but Aria didn't let her. Instead, she brought her hand down across Liara's backside in a sharp slap.

The cry that fell from Liara's lips was sweeter than anything she could have said. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she bit her lower lip, flushing once the initial flinch of pain passed. Aria smirked as she pulled her palm away. The mark there was an even deeper shade of purple than the blush on Liara's cheeks. It was almost the same color as the swollen ridge of her clit and the velvety inner folds that hid her entrance. It was such a gorgeous color that Aria couldn't help herself. She broke another blow across the other side of Liara's ass, digging the edges of her nails in afterward.

"Aria!"

She had made Liara cry out her name before, but this time, the victory was especially satisfying. She trailed her fingertips around the twin handprints she had left, tracing patterns over the hot skin. "Good girl," she purred, smirking with satisfaction as Liara melted under the gentle touch. "My name is one of the only words I want to hear from you until I'm finished. Aside from your safeword, the two others you're allowed to say are 'please' and 'more'."

A visible shudder traveled along Liara's spine. She gasped and arched, spreading her legs further apart and lifting her ass higher. With such a tempting target, Aria couldn't resist giving her one more quick tap, more promise and sound than substance, before heading over to the display wall. "Stay," she ordered, forcing herself not to glance back as she examined the various crops and paddles. Eventually, she chose something simple: a black leather crop with a wide tab, perfect for tracing between Liara's legs when she wasn't using it for its intended purpose.

"Aria, please..."

The soft sound of Liara's voice tugged at the knot in her chest. It was a little entitled of Liara to speak without being given permission, but at least she had restricted herself to the right words. Aria gave the crop a quick snap across her palm to test its speed and give, and the cracking noise earned her a quick intake of breath. "Calm your tits, T'Soni," she laughed, turning around in time to see Liara's eyes dart away from hers. "I haven't even touched you with it... yet."

Even though Liara wasn't watching her, she approached the couch with a confident sway in her hips. After a few steps, she stood in her earlier position, running the edge of the crop between the vivid purple lines her nails had left on Liara's thigh. Liara's body swayed, torn between pushing into the light, feathery contact and pulling away from it in preparation. Aria corrected the behavior instinctively, giving a light tap with the crop's tab. The strike was hard enough to sting a bit, but soft enough to leave her wanting more. Liara stiffened, then melted a split second later.

"Hold still. Otherwise, I'll give you a real punishment instead of a reward."

Liara's head sank in acknowledgement. She straightened into a comfortable position and stayed there, waiting breathlessly. Aria made her suffer in silence for a few seconds before snapping the crop again. Her second blow was harder than the first, and the sound was sharper, but Liara's reaction was the same. She shivered, struggling to stay still, and Aria could tell that the urge to push back had almost won out over the instinct to pull away.

"Gorgeous," she sighed without thinking, letting the leather tab tease the flesh she had struck. Liara hissed a little, but the noise quickly became a whimper as Aria dragged the crop inward, following the trails of shimmering wetness that had begun sliding down her thigh. She paused for a moment at the outer lips of Liara's azure, but temptation won out. She let the tab slip over the stiff sweep of Liara's clit, trapping it underneath.

"Please," Liara begged, the muscles in her shoulders and arms bunching as she struggled to hold still. Her body locked up even tighter than it had after the stinging slaps of the crop, and Aria didn't have to see the darkness in her eyes to know that her head had to be humming with the need to join. "Aria, more..."

"That almost sounded like an order," Aria said. She pulled the crop away, letting it graze near Liara's entrance. "Are you the one giving orders here, T'Soni? I'll add 'yes' and 'no' to your approved vocabulary list."

Liara rocked her hips, completely forgetting the command to stay still as she searched for the contact she had lost. Even though it was endearing, Aria gave her another swift tap to remind her. It left a beautiful bruise on Liara's soft blue skin, but it also coaxed out another pulse of wetness that slid over the shining ridge of her clit. "No…"

"Right. Then shut up. You're going to take ten more without making a sound, and if you're good, maybe I'll give you what you want." She paused, waiting for any objections, but none came. Liara was being surprisingly pliant tonight, and Aria could tell that she was desperate enough to obey almost any order. Under other circumstances, she might have taken advantage of it. It wasn't often that she had the opportunity to seize so much control from Liara. But something held her back. Perhaps it was her own desire to push further, to know Liara's mind as well as her body.

She waited for just a few more seconds, enough time to make sure Liara wasn't going to move. Then, when the maiden was completely still, she began her count. The first was sharp, a test of how hard she could go. Liara flinched, but managed to remain silent. Aria circled the imprint she had left with the edge of the tab, waiting for her to relax. "That's one." The next several swats came in quick succession. "Two. Three. Four."

Liara began breathing heavily, and Aria paused, trailing the crop up along her spine and circling to check her face. Her eyes were dark and glistening with unshed tears, but she didn't seem to be in much pain. As a reward, she dragged the leather tab back down and teased it through the slick, pouting lips of Liara's azure. That nearly made her forget her orders, and she was barely able to swallow a moan. Aria pretended she hadn't heard, but left her clit alone. For once, she didn't want to make Liara fail.

"Five. Six. Seven." The blows broke across the backs of Liara's thighs, where there wasn't quite as much cushioning. It was enough to make her stiffen and shake, but she kept quiet. "Eight. Nine…" Aria paused, smiling even though Liara couldn't see. She wasn't often a grateful person, but many of her other feelings tonight had already veered out of character. She was lucky to have a woman like Liara in her life, annoying quirks and all. "Ten."

Liara let out a sigh, sagging forward at the last strike. Aria tossed the crop aside, not caring where it landed. She knelt behind Liara's thighs, sliding her fingers through the wetness she had only teased before. As soon as they came into contact, she felt pressure inside her head, pounding like a frantic heartbeat and searching for a way in. "You can scream my name now," she murmured, bending over Liara's back to whisper beside her crest. The more their skin touched, the greater the pressure grew. "In fact, I insist. And you can meld whenever you want."

"Ah-" '_...ria.'_

Suddenly, she wasn't alone in her head. She had melded with Liara once before, but not like this. Not with lashing claws of desire and white spikes of heat scoring through her, devouring everything they touched. Liara's need blazed hotter than she had expected, and she had to root herself to keep from being burned away. And then all the raw power, all the want, all the fire yielded. Liara presented it as a gift, and the surrender almost stopped her heart.

In an instant, she understood what Tevos had meant about being careful. Beneath the strength was softness, and the scars that streaked across the landscape of Liara's mind still protected a shimmering sort of innocence. Liara was very much a maiden despite everything she had endured. _'There you are,'_ Aria thought as she sought out those places, keeping well away from the deep gouges that she sensed only Shepard could touch. _'You aren't as corrupted as you think.'_

_'No.'_ Liara's want faded to a slow simmer as she adjusted to the new connection. '_Shepard keeps me honest.'_

Aria laughed. '_Honesty is overrated. I'll leave that job to her. But…'_ She latched on to Liara's desire, the flame she had held earlier. '_There might be something else I can help with.'_ Her focus returned to the physical realm, and she pushed her fingers forward until Liara's azure accepted them. It didn't take much. Liara was too wet to offer much resistance. Aria sought out the swollen spot along her front wall, enjoying the flashes of red that blossomed behind her own eyes when she found it.

_'Oh, Goddess…'_ Liara began rocking to meet her thrusts, adjusting her hips without being told. Her inner walls fluttered, and Aria had to add more force to the movement of her wrist as the tight muscles gripping her fingers clenched.

_'Those words weren't on your approved list,'_ Aria teased, trying to ignore the swiftly growing fullness between her own legs. Even without direct contact, the sensations coming from Liara were more than enough to push her toward release.

"I know. Please, just take me," Liara hissed. In the midst of the meld, obedience didn't come as easily.

Instead of being disappointed, Aria savored the slip of control. _'__You're getting punished for that later. But first, I want my orgasm.'_ She used the joining to her advantage, testing different speeds and angles until she discovered a motion that sent bolts of pleasure through them both. Once she found the rhythm that worked, she stuck with it, rolling the edge of her thumb over Liara's clit at the end of every thrust. _'__Since you're so eager to speak, tell me what I want to hear.'_ She sank her teeth into the tight cord of muscle that ran along Liara's shoulder, determined to leave at least one mark besides the purple stripes on her ass and thighs. _'__Tell me you're mine. Tell me you're mine, and I'll let you come...'_

All at once, everything shifted. The word around her spun into something strange and unfamiliar, and Aria grunted in surprise as she lurched forward into Liara's mind. _Gunfire, showering sparks from every direction. Dust and smog and screeching beams of bright red light. Oh Goddess, her head hurts. Hurts even though she can't tell where the warm, wet blood running down the side of her face is coming from. Someone pulls her back, urging her up the gangplank with an arm beneath her shoulder._

_Shepard. She has to find Shepard. Ashley can't take her until she finds…_

_There. Charging toward her through the fog, familiar as ever, swathed in flickering blue light. Shepard. Alive, although her armor is dented and scuffed. Her green eyes are burning, tortured. "Williams, get her out of here."_

_"I'm all right, Shepard." She tries to slip from beneath Ashley's arm, to reach out, but Shepard shakes her head._

_"Don't argue with me, Liara."_

_No. Not now. Not when they're so close. She won't leave. Can't leave. "You're not leaving me behind!"_

_"No matter what happens, you mean everything to me, Liara." Shepard's gloved hand cups her cheek in the softest touch she's ever known, brushing away the blood and tears. "You always will."_

_"Shepard…" And then her love is gone, gone from the safety of her arms, backing down the ramp and away from the ship. She's never known such hollow emptiness, or such pride and devotion. "I… I am yours…"_

"Mako!"

It took several moments for Aria to find some sense of balance when the memory ended. She remained caught somewhere outside herself, and she had to think of Tevos to remember who and where she was. After several slow, steady blinks, she removed her hand and sat back on her heels, still reeling from what she had witnessed. Beneath her, Liara collapsed onto her stomach, shuddering with ugly sobs and curling her forearm up to protect her face.

Aria reacted on instinct. Liara had never cried like this during any of their previous sexual encounters, and she had never used her safeword, but it didn't matter. She couldn't stand to see this. She shored up the fraying edges of the meld and dove back into the darkness, clutching the most familiar part of Liara's soul that she could reach. The Liara she knew was still there. She was hidden away, blanketed in grief, but at the first gentle touch, she opened up again and accepted the comfort being offered.

_'I - I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to see…'_

_'It's fine.'_ She turned onto her side, settling onto the couch and looping an arm around Liara's waist. _'I wouldn't have said that if I'd known what would happen.'_

Liara stayed quiet for a long time. She simply breathed, and Aria held her, brushing a soft kiss against the back of her neck as she waited. "Just because I don't belong to you doesn't mean I don't love you," Liara said at last, speaking outside the meld. "I want… I need you to know that."

Aria smiled. She had known about Liara's feelings thanks to her melds with Tevos, but hearing them spoken and experiencing them through the meld was different. _'I know.'_ She gave her own love without words, a little grudgingly, but honestly. As uncomfortable as she was with caring for other people, she couldn't let Liara think her feelings weren't returned. Not while she was so vulnerable.

_'So… what now?'_

Cautiously, Aria began exploring the rest of Liara's mind. She searched for the desire she had felt before, and was pleased when it began to glow again at her touch. They wouldn't be able to pick up where they had left off, but perhaps there was another solution. "Flip over and spread your legs," she said, running a soft hand along Liara's stomach. "I have an idea."

Liara asked, and Aria answered with an image of what she had in mind. The suggestion met with instant approval, and Liara flipped onto her back, sniffing a little and wiping away the wet streaks on her face. Her tears had only been a brief shower, and Aria was relieved to see that she was already smiling behind them. _'__You don't do that for me often,'_ she said, resting back against the arm of the couch. _'__Are you sure?'_

Aria didn't respond with words, or even thoughts. Instead, she draped one of Liara's knees over her shoulder and lowered her head. Sweetness spilled over her tongue at the first touch, and she groaned as she pulled the stiff ridge of Liara's clit into her mouth. Resisting the impulse to tease the base with her teeth, she formed a seal with her lips instead and sucked as gently as she could. Liara let out a breathy sigh, spreading her legs even wider and canting her hips up. The gesture of trust and acceptance was reassuring, and Aria knew she had made the right choice. Still, she wanted to be careful.

_'Tell me if it's too much. Tell me if I…'_

_'No.'_ Liara reached down to caress the back of her head, not guiding, but urging her to continue. _'__No, please, don't stop.'_ Aria slid her palm up along Liara's inner thigh, making sure she was aware of what was about to happen before reintroducing her fingers. It was still a tight fit, but Liara accepted her eagerly, squeezing down as soon as she pushed inside. _'__You're fine. More, Aria, I want-'_

_'Okay.' _She began a steady curling motion, catching the same spot she had found before. Her tongue swirled in circles, and she slid her other hand in a soothing line from Liara's hip to the top of her knee. She grazed a few of the marks she had left along the way, but the slightly painful tenderness only seemed to heighten Liara's desire. Sensing she needed one more push, Aria pulled just a little harder with her lips and hooked her fingers up one last time, holding them in place. _'Come for me. You don't have to be mine, but come for me.'_

Liara's spine arched, and her inner walls began to flutter. She froze, and for a single moment, Aria felt as though she was holding a small star in her hands. It was beautiful, and for the second time that evening, she found herself grateful. Grateful for the trust Liara had placed in her, even though most people would say she probably didn't deserve it, and grateful for Tevos. When she was surrounded by so much love, she couldn't help but think of the woman who had opened her heart to it.

Then Liara's release swept over her, and she couldn't think at all. The sharp contractions rolled through Liara's body and into hers, rushing across the meld as a flood of wetness spilled over her chin and into her palm. The clinging silk around her fingers pulled even tighter, pulsing in time with the small heartbeat against her tongue. It stretched on and on, filling her and draining her all at once, and she dug her nails into the soft skin above Liara's hip, unable to help herself. Thankfully, neither of them minded the slight pain. It was a perfect contrast to the gentleness of her mouth.

Too soon, it was over. Their shared orgasm faded to aftershocks, and Aria rested her cheek on Liara's shivering stomach. She withdrew her fingers, placing a kiss over the swell of Liara's hipbone to cut off a whimper of protest. _'Better?'_ she asked without looking up. She didn't need to see Liara's eyes to sense her relief.

_'Better.'_

They remained still for a long time, lingering in the meld, but the connection couldn't be sustained forever. Liara drew back first, and Aria let her go with one last reassuring caress. "What do you think Shepard and Tevos are doing upstairs?" Liara asked at last, shifting into a sitting position and forcing Aria to give up her comfortable pillow.

"They're probably watching Blasto by now. Shepard's stamina isn't_ that_ impressive."

Liara rolled her eyes, and Aria waited for her to ask if they could go upstairs. Instead, Liara surprised her by lying flat on her back. "Good. Then they'll be busy for a while."

"You don't want to go up and check on them? After what I saw, I wouldn't blame you."

"In a little while. Shepard will be there." The certainty in Liara's voice never wavered, and Aria knew it was something she would never take for granted. "But I think I owe you an orgasm first. Come kneel over me. I haven't gotten to taste you yet."

Aria smirked and rose onto her knees as Liara had requested. Sharing Liara's release had been intense, but one wasn't nearly enough. "Hey, if you're offering..."

"I am," Liara murmured, sliding a hand around her hip to draw her closer. "After that, I think you've earned it."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: **My story for the Month of July: Shepard/Tevos's first meld! Damn, you guys really love this series, don'tcha? XD

SEND IN YOUR PROMPTS FOR AUGUST, LADIES AND GENTS AND OTHERS! You have 24 hours.

And for those of you who aren't patrons, if you want a chance to dictate what I write and get sneak peeks... www dot dot com / raedmagdon

**. . .**

"What do you think they're doing down there?"

Tevos turned away from the wine rack, leaning casually against the kitchen counter. Even though Shepard was too busy peering into the hallway to admire her seductive pose, she wasn't disappointed. In fact, the concern written on the Commander's face was endearing. Still, she decided to offer what comfort she could. The worry lines that creased the middle of Shepard's brow would only be sweet if they could be easily smoothed away. "Kissing in the elevator, probably. Why? Do you want to check on them?"

Shepard turned back, her broad shoulders slumping. "No," she mumbled. "Not really. I just feel... I don't know what I feel. I'm not jealous. Not exactly. But..."

Tevos set aside the bottle of Thessian Red she had chosen and swayed past the breakfast bar. Pouring their drinks could wait. Shepard didn't seem as though she were about to bolt for the dungeon and call a halt to the evening, but it was obvious that she needed a little more reassurance than Liara had been able to offer. "I wouldn't think less of you if you were jealous, Shepard. Liara is your bondmate. Some possessiveness is to be expected."

"Okay. Maybe I am feeling a bit possessive," Shepard said. She shifted uncomfortably at the admission, as though she were ashamed of herself for making it.

"Because of the meld?"

Shepard nodded. "It changes things. Before, I never minded when Liara and Aria were sexual with each other. It was exciting to watch." Her lips tugged into a weak smile, and for the first time that evening, Tevos felt as though Shepard's beautiful green eyes were focused completely on her. "And it meant I got to be with you. You're so beautiful, and kind, and smart, and..."

Tevos felt her cheeks heat up, but she laughed off the compliments. "I wish I could record you saying these things and send them back in time. I never would have believed you were capable of forming such a positive opinion of me."

That earned her an even more genuine smile. The furrow in the middle of Shepard's forehead softened, and she stood a little taller. "Well, you were kind of a pain in the ass," she drawled, folding her arms across her chest.

"So were you, even though you ended up being right. You certainly didn't make my job easy, ranting about ancient sentient machines whose sole purpose was to destroy all life in the galaxy. If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, would you have believed yourself?"

"Probably not." Shepard's smile vanished and she fell into thoughtful silence.

Tentatively, Tevos reached out, sliding a hand up along the stiff line of Shepard's arm to pat her shoulder. The tension there was obvious even beneath the fabric of Shepard's shirt, and she instinctively began kneading it away, much as she had done for Aria earlier. "Are you all right, Shepard? We can watch Blasto instead, or go downstairs and ask Aria and Liara to stop."

"No," Shepard said, a little too forcefully. She seemed to realize her mistake, cupping a warm hand over Tevos's in apology. "No, I'm all right."

Tevos's thumb passed back and forth in a line just above Shepard's collarbone. "Really?"

"Really," Shepard insisted, much more convincingly. "But I guess I am a little jealous. Sharing Liara's body with you and Aria is fun, but her mind is different. I was the first one to experience the mating meld with her. I guess it seemed like no matter what we did, that small piece of her soul would always be mine."

"Isn't it still?" Tevos asked, drawing nearer until their bodies brushed. Shepard's other hand settled around her waist, and she placed a kiss where the Commander's neck met her shoulder. A low shudder was her reward, but she didn't take advantage of it. She couldn't bring herself to continue until she was certain Shepard was in the right frame of mind. "Liara and I already melded, and it hasn't diminished her love for you. Why should giving her permission to meld with Aria be any different?"

Shepard remained silent, struggling to put her feelings into words. Some of the strain returned to her face, and Tevos gave her arm another reassuring squeeze, urging her to give voice to her thoughts. "Aria's a lot like me," Shepard said at last. "Well, okay, maybe not exactly like me. I like to think I have a better moral compass. But in terms of sex, we're both dominant. She brings the same things to the table that I do. I can see why Liara would want to be with you. You're completely different than I am, and everyone wants some variety once in a while. But Aria..."

Suddenly, Tevos knew exactly what to say. "Aria is very skilled at everything she does, Shepard. But it isn't your own skill as a lover, or anything else, that provides the basis for your relationship with Liara. Your shared history together is the foundation." Shepard opened her mouth, but Tevos cupped her cheek, cradling the Commander's strong jaw before she could speak. "The two of you have been through so much, and you've formed a bond I don't think even death can break. In fact, I know it can't. When Liara and I melded, I held her heart inside mine. Please believe me when I say that all of it is yours."

Shepard remained speechless for several seconds. Her lips trembled, but couldn't seem to form words. Eventually, Tevos took matters into her own hands. She curled her fingers around the back of Shepard's neck and drew her down for a kiss. Their lips met softly at first, but even without the meld, Tevos could feel the weight of Shepard's emotions pressing in around her. When the firm body against hers started to shake, she drew back, allowing Shepard to take in some much-needed air.

"Please, let me show you," she whispered. Shepard's breathing remained ragged and unsteady, so Tevos continued pressing kisses to the light brown freckles scattered across her cheeks, leaving her a little room without pulling away. "You deserve to experience what Liara shared with me that night. She would want me to give you what she gave me."

Shepard stiffened in her arms at first, but finally, her entire body melted. She surged forward with a low groan, and Tevos found her mouth caught in another kiss. This one was all passion, and Tevos eagerly parted her lips for the press of Shepard's tongue. She tightened her hold on Shepard's shoulder to steady herself, afraid she might fall without something to grip. She had no idea what she had unleashed, but she was hungry to discover the answers.

Somehow, they managed to stagger toward the breakfast bar without parting. Its edge dug into the middle of Tevos's back thanks to Shepard's eagerness, but she could barely feel the slight discomfort. She was too focused on the mouth devouring hers, the hands grasping her hips, the need behind every gesture. Shepard was desperate, not just for sex, but for affection and reassurance.

Since her lips were captured and she knew Shepard wasn't ready for the intensity of the meld, Tevos relied on touch to give them. She stopped pulling Shepard's hair, fisting the loose fabric of her shirt instead, but even that wasn't enough. Soon, her hands were roaming beneath the hem, stroking the taut, quivering bands of muscle that made up Shepard's back. They rolled under her skin, and Tevos couldn't help but savor the power she held in her arms. Shepard was a magnificent woman, somehow even stronger because of her insecurities.

"Thea..." The sound of her first name in Shepard's rasping voice, nearly lost between kisses, made her heart clench. It was an intimacy that even Aria rarely took, and she couldn't remember the last time Shepard had used it. Although her body ached to surrender to the rough fingers fumbling with the zipper of her dress and the thigh pressing insistently between her legs, she broke away from Shepard's mouth long enough to return the favor.

"Jane." Shepard froze, panting lightly, with their foreheads still resting together. "Liara loves you, Jane. I love you. Even Aria loves you, in her strange way."

The spell seemed to break, and Shepard burst out laughing, blinking away a few tears. Tevos brushed them aside with her thumb, cradling the back of Shepard's head and smoothing the short hair she had ruffled in their urgency. "I know," Shepard gasped, somewhere between giggling and crying. "I know she loves me. She's always loved me. Even when I was stupid. Even when I was trying to save the whole damn galaxy. I should trust her. I should know better."

Tevos smiled in approval. "You do know better. That's why our bondmates are downstairs..."

"And why I'm here, crying over myself in the kitchen." Shepard sighed, although she made no move to pull away. Tevos assumed it was a sound of relief. The Commander seemed much more relaxed, truly at peace this time instead of pretending. "I didn't think it would hit me this hard. The four of us have been involved for years. She's already melded with you once, and that didn't bother me."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. We can't always control our feelings. If Liara had been here to see this, she wouldn't have been disappointed in you. I know I'm not."

Another silence stretched between them, but this time, it was a comfortable one. Tevos continued holding Shepard in her arms, and their slow breaths eventually lined up. "Better?" she murmured beneath Shepard's ear, letting her words skate across the light hairs there. A few ticklish strands caught her lips, but she ignored them. To her surprise, she had grown to appreciate some of Shepard's alien features over the years.

"Yeah. Better." Shepard returned the whisper of a kiss, catching a spot along her temple just beneath the start of her crest. "Thanks. I guess I needed that."

"What's the phrase your people use? You're only human, Shepard."

"Hey. It's better than being an asshole."

The playful insult was the final reassurance Tevos needed. "Your profanity might benefit from a few more colorful adjectives. How about 'sarcastic asshole'?"

"But that almost turns it into a compliment."

"And?"

"And..." Shepard smirked down at her, bangs falling over her forehead. Even so, Tevos could tell her brow was no longer drawn with worry. "Do you wanna do it here, or on the living room couch?"

"You're joking." She let go of Shepard and trailed her hand teasingly along the island behind her. "I had the breakfast bar installed at this height for a reason." She drew a circle with her fingertips, then dragged them back toward her in a slow line. "It would be a shame not to use it."

"Wasteful," Shepard agreed with a wide grin.

"Absolutely." Tevos straightened her arms, preparing to push herself up, but Shepard took over. The Commander grasped her hips and lifted her into the air as if she was weightless. Warm lips covered hers as she slid onto the counter, and this time, the purpose behind them was pure. There was no hesitation, no blazing desperation, no despair. Shepard was kissing her simply because she wanted to, not to reclaim something she mistakenly thought she had lost.

Tevos was tempted to thread her fingers through Shepard's hair again, but instead, she reached behind her neck to lower her zipper the rest of the way. She only managed to tug it down to the middle of her back before Shepard seized her wrists, pinning them against the breakfast bar and coaxing her to curl her fingers around its edge. "Don't bother. I've got all the access I need," she murmured, letting their noses brush. A shiver raced down Tevos's spine as Shepard's hand slid up along her thigh, slipping beneath the hem of her dress. "Your only job is to hold on tight."

"If you want to spoil me, I won't complain..."

Shepard pulled her dress up the rest of the way, letting it drape around her hips and urging her to spread her knees. "I wouldn't call it spoiling you. I'm just... taking care of you. Like you took care of me."

Her tone was affectionate, but it was the softness in her eyes that made Tevos's heart flutter. She tried to respond, but any words she might have summoned were lost in a moan as Shepard's hand cupped between her legs, stroking through her underwear. The touch was meant to be gentle, perhaps even teasing, but nothing Shepard did ever truly was. It put more than enough pressure against her azure to draw out a flood of wetness and soak through the fabric. "You're off to a good start," she said in a shaking voice.

Shepard's grin grew even broader. "'Good' isn't good enough. Commander Shepard always goes for 'great'."

"Do those lines usually work on Liara? Because I hate to question her judgment, but..."

"Nah. But this definitely does." Shepard stopped massaging her through the fabric and moved up, ripping the strips of lace beneath her hips with a quick tug. Tevos sighed even though she wasn't truly disappointed. Aria and Shepard had vastly different styles of dominance, but one thing they had in common was ruining perfectly good clothes.

"Was that really necessary?" she asked as Shepard peeled her shredded underwear away and tossed it to the ground.

"They were ruined anyway." Shepard leaned in close beside her crest, and Tevos's breath hitched. Firm fingers began skating over her clit, drawing it out from beneath its hood. "Besides, you like it."

Tevos didn't bother with any more smart retorts. Instead, she began rocking into the blissful contact, shivering every time Shepard's fingertips slipped over her. They were the perfect mix of rough and smooth, and soon she was gasping with each pass. She hadn't expected to rise so high so quickly, but she didn't bother fighting. It was obvious that Shepard wasn't just toying with her. She had a deliberate goal in mind, and Tevos was certain she wouldn't stop until she had succeeded.

"You know what's going to happen after this, right?" Shepard purred. Tevos tensed and clutched harder at the edge of the breakfast bar as the pattern against her clit switched from a straight line to quick, hard circles. "Once you come all over my hand, I'm gonna haul you over my shoulder and carry you into the living room." The thought of being swept up in Shepard's strong arms caused her inner muscles to ache with want. Wetness slid along her thighs, and her face flushed with heat. "And you're gonna give me that blowjob you promised."

She couldn't help herself. Her eyes darted down between their bodies, and a whimper broke in her throat. She had only been joking earlier, but there was a definite swell at the front of Shepard's pants. Apparently, the Commander had decided to come prepared. _'How could I possibly have missed that earlier?'_ Tevos wondered, but any further thoughts splintered apart as Shepard's fingers slid lower. Two of them sank inside without teasing first, and the sudden stretch made the tight ridge of her clit twitch with jealousy. They curled up, and stars exploded inside her head as they grazed the secret place against her front wall.

"Fuck, your eyes are already black," Shepard said in a breathless rasp. The Commander's smile was hovering only a few inches away, close enough to kiss, and twin dimples dotted her freckled cheeks. "So? Are we going to...?"

One more curl of Shepard's fingers, one more swipe of her thumb, and Tevos couldn't stand it anymore. She let go of the counter and tugged at Shepard's hair again, dragging her in for another kiss. Biotics crawled the length of her body, humming with untapped energy, and they surged as Shepard's tongue slid over her bottom lip. She returned the favor with a quick bite, holding and tugging before finally breaking apart for one last gulp of air. "Embrace eternity, Shepard."

Shepard gave her a look that was half-bewilderment, half-excitement, but nodded her head yes. The gesture was enough. Tevos released the buzzing pressure at the back of her head, letting it surge through every place where their bare skin touched. When she reached out for Shepard's mind, she didn't come up against any resistance. It was easy to find, and so bright that it sent a warm glow through her entire body.

The emotions Tevos tapped into were fresh and young and lashing everywhere at once. The burning intensity that was Shepard left her breathless, and it took her several moments to adjust to the raw heat. It was not like melding with another asari at all. Shepard's feelings rose to the surface as soon as they burst into existence, adding fuel to the white-hot flame.

At first, the words that accompanied the fierce blaze were a jumbled mess, rushing at her in a language she couldn't understand. But gradually, as she learned the landscape of Shepard's mind, they began to translate. _'... like an ocean with no bottom to stand on. You're so... deep. And calm. And... ancient.'_

A flicker of embarrassment followed, and Tevos laughed._ 'Don't worry. I consider that a compliment.'_

The light inside of Shepard danced with its own laughter. _'Oh, thank God.'_

_'You aren't afraid of drowning in me, are you?'_ Tevos asked, sensing a thrumming thread of nervousness mixed up with everything else.

_'A little,'_ Shepard admitted._ 'You seem endless from here.'_

Tevos re-focused on her physical body long enough to brush her mouth over Shepard's slack lips. _'Trust me. Let me guide you. I'll make sure you don't get lost.'_

Instead of delving deeper within Shepard, she pulled the Commander into hers. She led Shepard toward the place where her desire lived, offering it as a gift. It was one of the simplest emotions to share and understand with an alien mind, and Shepard seemed to surge with delight as she discovered it._ 'You want me,'_ she thought, swelling with pride.

_'I don't just want you.'_ Tevos cupped her hand over Shepard's, urging her to continue._ 'I need you.'_

The words unleashed another firestorm. Lust erupted from Shepard's half of the connection, and her fingers resumed their hard thrust-and-curl. They plunged even deeper than before, and Tevos let her head fall back in rapture as Shepard's teeth found her throat. She bucked her hips, and her hands flew back down to the counter, clinging to it for dear life. Shepard's flare of hunger had heightened every physical sensation, and each push threatened to snap her control.

_'Come for me. Please.'_ Shepard's voice waved between demanding and pleading inside of her head. _'I want to... I want to make you...'_

She saw no reason to resist. Beneath all the power, the staggering strength, the incredible determination, Shepard simply wanted to see her desire, her love and affection, returned. It was a reassurance that Tevos was more than happy to give. She drew Shepard deeper inside of herself, past the boiling surface and down into the place where her heart beat naked inside her chest. _'I love you, Jane,'_ she repeated, sending proof of her feelings along with her words.

This time, it wasn't fire that crawled across their bond. It was a flood of tears and hopes and disappointments. To her absolute shock, Tevos realized just how much Shepard doubted herself. She had doubted herself during the war, and only considered it luck that the galaxy hadn't been destroyed. She doubted the strength that was so obvious to everyone else. And although she didn't doubt the purity of Liara's devotion to her, she doubted that she was worthy of it.

Tevos responded the only way she knew how. She wrapped Shepard up in all the love she could summon and hooked a knee around her waist. The slight change in angle was enough to pull the fingers buried inside of her even deeper, and the next time the rough heel of Shepard's hand collided with her clit, her body broke with relief. Her inner walls pulsed, and she pushed out a flood of heat into Shepard's waiting hand. She arched as she came, clutching the counter with one hand and Shepard's arm with the other. They tethered her as she soared, and a smile spread across her face.

Shepard's response to the rush of wetness was beautiful. Even though the Commander had made her come countless times before, feeling her relish the sensation was special. _'So warm. So tight and slick and...'_ Tevos shared her shudder as another pulse rippled between them. _'... and all for me...'_

With Shepard's need fueling hers, it was a long time before her contractions ended. She floated back to herself slowly, careful to maintain the bond instead of letting it dissolve. She wanted to remain connected to Shepard for as long as possible, and she sensed that Shepard wanted the same thing. There was only one twinge of doubt, and she laughed again as it slipped past Shepard's inexperienced barriers. _'I'm sorry,'_ Tevos thought, unable to stifle her amusement. _'I didn't mean to make you ruin your pants. Although it really is your own fault. You should have thought this through a little more.'_

_'It's okay. You were going to ruin them anyway.'_ Although she was embarrassed, Tevos knew she wasn't too upset._ 'Payback for the underwear, huh?'_

"And the breakfast bar," Tevos said aloud. She shifted, trying to find a slightly drier place on the island. "I'm going to have to sterilize it."

"The breakfast bar isn't the only piece of furniture you're gonna have to clean."

Shepard's fingers pulled out of her, but Tevos didn't have time to be disappointed by the loss. Instead, she found herself being picked up and hauled over Shepard's broad shoulder. Rather than protest, she decided to relax and enjoy the ride. "Not necessarily," she said as Shepard carried her effortlessly into the living room. "If we're following through on your earlier promises, I could always just swallow."

"Change of plans. You're not giving me a blowjob. I've got some jealousy issues I need to fuck out instead."

Even though only a few wisps of the meld remained, it was enough to let Tevos know that Shepard's feelings were mostly positive. She had found a constructive way to make use of her insecurities, and Tevos couldn't help but admire how quickly she was able to adapt. Perhaps it was a human trait, but she suspected that most of it was simply part of Shepard's personality. Not just any woman could win an unwinnable war and save the galaxy, after all.

"I don't have any objections," she said, "but you'll have to put me down first."

"Done." Shepard lowered her gently onto the couch, and Tevos couldn't conceal a wry smirk as she caught sight of the stain on Shepard's pants. She tried to cover up her amusement by stripping off her dress. If Shepard was going to fuck her, she wanted to make sure she could feel every inch of the human's powerful, muscular form moving over hers. "You won't be so smug once my cock's buried inside you," Shepard added, catching a glimpse of her grin. "You'll be too busy screaming and coming your brains out to give me looks like that."

"I'm glad to see you have your confidence back," Tevos said. She leaned back against the arm of the couch and spread her legs, gesturing at the empty space between them. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

Shepard did not need any more encouragement. She shoved her pants down and kicked them aside, hopping onto the couch and climbing between her knees. Tevos shuddered as she caught a glimpse of Shepard's eyes, burning with lust and fixed directly on her. They seared every inch of her body, claiming her skin without even touching it, and her azure fluttered in anticipation. Somehow, Shepard was even sexier when she had something to prove.

"Lift up," Shepard rasped, taking hold of her hips and adjusting them to her liking before she could even obey. "And don't you dare come before me."

Tevos was tempted to point out that she couldn't come without the help of the meld, but the smart remark was lost in a groan as Shepard's weight settled on top of her. Feeling the Commander pin the couch was even better than she had hoped. She never grew tired of the raw strength that coursed through Shepard's lean body, especially when all of it was coursing beneath her hands. She stroked her palms up and down Shepard's broad back, urging her even closer as their pelvises aligned.

The first brush of Shepard's cock along the sensitive lips of her azure nearly had her coming all over again. It wasn't a deliberate tease, but it left her trembling with desire in the cage of Shepard's muscular arms. When Shepard sensed her reaction, she repeated the motion, deliberately dragging through her wetness to coat her shaft. "You're already eager for it, aren't you? At this rate, you're gonna soak the couch cushions before you even come."

A flush spread across Tevos's cheeks. She suspected that Shepard's predictions were accurate, but she didn't much care. All she wanted was for the thick length sliding so temptingly between her legs to push inside. She moved her hands lower, gripping the firm swell of Shepard's ass and tilting further up. "Inside, Shepard," she panted, digging in slightly with her nails.

Luckily, Shepard didn't have enough willpower left to torture her. Tevos whimpered as the blunt head lined up with her entrance, fitting perfectly against the tight ring of muscle and pushing inside. It didn't take much. Her first orgasm had left her eager for another, and after a few quick thrusts, Shepard was buried almost all the way inside her. One glistening, stubborn inch remained outside, but Tevos didn't mind. It was angled perfectly to press against the swollen ridge of her clit.

"Oh God," Shepard muttered, picking up a fast, frantic rhythm almost immediately. The sharp movements were a bit too much at first, but Tevos quickly adjusted, winding her leg around Shepard's side for better leverage. "This isn't fair. I was supposed to make you beg for it first, but you know just how to drive me crazy. I don't wanna wait."

Tevos caught Shepard's trembling lips, sliding her tongue into the Commander's hot mouth. She clenched tight around the shaft splitting her apart, determined to coax Shepard into a release as powerful as the one she had already enjoyed. "You don't have to wait," she murmured between kisses and short, quick breaths. "Why is it so hard for you to believe that you deserve this?"

Shepard didn't answer. Tevos wasn't sure whether she was incapable of responding, or whether she simply didn't want to think about it. Her hips faltered, but only for a moment. The steady thrusts came even faster than before, and Tevos felt a sheen of sweat break out across Shepard's smooth skin. The swift strokes inside of her were just on the edge of painful, but she relished them anyway, eager to take everything the Commander was capable of giving. This impatient, possessive lust was completely different that Aria's cold, torturous, unyielding style of dominance, and she couldn't help but savor it.

Her desire for more soon got the better of her. The light buzz in the back of her head became an insistent throb, and she trembled with the effort holding back the meld. Her instincts were urging her to slip back inside Shepard's mind, to embrace the bright flame she could sense through the places where their slick skin pressed together. "Shepard, I-"

"Oh, fuck it." Shepard took her lips in another fierce kiss, claiming her with one more brutal thrust. Her agreement was obvious. Tevos gathered up as much of Shepard as she could, holding her close in every possible way.

This time, the Commander's fire was scorching, a blaze that seared down to her very core. Tevos understood that she was experiencing the full force of Shepard's determination, her strength, her passion. _'This is her,'_ she suddenly realized, struggling to get her bearings amidst so much rushing heat. _'The woman who saved the galaxy. The unstoppable Shepard of legend.'_

If Shepard noticed herself being described in such embarrassingly poetic and flattering terms, she didn't appear to let on. Her mind was tightly focused on one thing: pumping deeper and relieving the aching strain in her shaft. Tevos was more than happy to help her with that goal. She clutched at the thick cock inside her, trying to coax out the fullness she could feel throbbing along its length.

Thanks to the shared sensations of the meld, it was easy to squeeze down at the perfect moment. The next time Shepard slammed inside of her, Tevos held her there, refusing to let go. Shepard's words and feelings came rushing back, as if something inside of her had broken. _'Oh God, Thea, I...'_ She couldn't quite finish the thought, but she didn't have to. Tevos understood exactly what she meant. Shepard's love wasn't as clearly defined as Liara's, perhaps because she was much younger than they were, or perhaps because she was slightly afraid to put a name to it, but it was still there, completely unmistakable.

_'I love you too. Please, come with me.'_

Shepard's hips jerked forward one last time, and Tevos cried out as the shaft of her cock pulsed. Warmth burst from the tip, spilling into her azure in thick, harsh spurts. It filled her to bursting, flooding her until she couldn't hold back her own release. Feeling Shepard come was enough to send her over the edge, and probably would have been enough even without the union. She arched beneath Shepard's unyielding form, and tremors shook every inch of her body as the pressure inside of her finally burst. More heat spilled over their locked thighs, and Tevos smiled as she realized that Shepard had been right. She had ruined the couch cushions after all.

To her surprise, their peak didn't end for a long time. Shepard shuddered through a series of orgasms instead of just one, emptying into her in seemingly endless waves. As soon as her length stopped twitching, Tevos would kiss her, shift against her, or tighten around her with aftershocks, and the process would start all over again. The rhythmic contractions passed back and forth between them until they were completely spent and neither of them had anything left to give. Tevos smiled as Shepard collapsed bonelessly on top of her. The extra weight made it slightly difficult to breathe, but she didn't mind. She shored up the fraying edges of the meld, unwilling to give up the shared connection just yet. _'How are you feeling?'_

_'Exhausted.'_ Shepard let out a soft moan as Tevos began massaging the tight muscles at the base of her spine. _'Happy.'_ Shepard's hips gave a light push even though she was already buried as deep as possible, and Tevos placed an affectionate kiss on her damp forehead. _'...and a little confused. Is that… is that really what Liara shared with you? Those feelings?'_

Tevos was pleased to note that Shepard did not seem upset at the prospect. Instead, she was slightly hopeful, although perhaps a little nervous. _'Yes,'_ Tevos told her. _'She shared her feelings very clearly through the meld. But you have no reason to worry. Just because she loves us doesn't mean she loves you any less. And just because you love us doesn't mean you love her any less. Besides...'_ She gave Shepard another of her wry smiles. _'Do you really think Aria would want Liara to be her bondmate full-time instead of just an occasional lover? The two of them would kill each other within a week.'_

Shepard laughed with relief, although she hadn't really needed the reassurance this time._ 'And there's no way she'd let me run off with you, either. Thanks, Tevos. I… I didn't think it was possible, but I actually think I might love Liara more after melding with you. That isn't weird, is it?'_

"No," Tevos said out loud, finally allowing the meld to dissolve. "It isn't strange at all."

The sound of a clearing throat caused both of them to look up, and Tevos smiled when she saw Aria and Liara standing a few yards away, observing them with identical expressions of amusement. "You're paying the cleaning bill, Shepard," Aria drawled, folding her arms over her chest. "You know how I am about my furniture."

Shepard eyed the two for them for several moments, and Tevos noticed her gaze flicking to the purple bruises on Liara's thighs. Several welts wrapped around her legs, and there were several handprints and fingermarks as well. "Considering the mess you left on my bondmate, I think we're even. Pay the damn bill yourself."

"Did you enjoy yourself, Shepard?" Liara asked with a gentle smile.

"Very much." Shepard shifted back, and Tevos let her go, only a little disappointed at the loss as the thickness inside her withdrew. "Why don't you come over here? I think I need a kiss from my favorite girl."

Tevos climbed off the couch so Shepard wouldn't have to, wobbling over to Aria on unsteady legs. Fortunately, her bondmate caught her. She sighed with relief as she sagged against Aria's chest, nuzzling into the sweet-smelling warmth of her throat. It was tinged with leather and sex, and she inhaled deeply as Aria looped an arm around her waist. "Go ahead," she said to Liara, who was still looking at her for permission. "Shepard and I had plenty of time to finish what we were doing."

Liara hurried to join Shepard on the couch, sighing happily as she crawled on top of Shepard's sprawled form. Tevos saw the moment her eyes locked onto the slick shaft of Shepard's cock, and she laughed softly against Aria's shoulder. "Please, don't worry," she said as Shepard's hands settled on Liara's hips, urging her closer. "I don't mind if the two of you want some time to reconnect." Aria began to speak up in protest, but Tevos silenced her with a look. "And Aria will just have to get over the fact that her second-favorite couch is about to be defiled."

"Not like it's the first time the four of us have used it," Shepard said. She looked away from Liara, and Tevos smiled as their gazes met. "Hey, Tevos…"

"Yes, Shepard?"

"I love you."

Tevos checked Liara's face, but she already knew what she would find there: complete acceptance. "I know."

Satisfied that she had finally said the words, Shepard focused all of her attention on Liara. As they lost themselves in a deep kiss, Tevos turned to her own bondmate, who had been surprisingly silent aside from her brief complaints. "And how are you?" she asked, stroking the shivering skin of Aria's naked back. It bore several scratch marks, but aside from that, Aria didn't seem to be any the worse for wear.

"It wasn't what I expected," she said after a moment's introspection.

Tevos snorted. "I told you so. T'Soni isn't your average maiden."

"You can say that again. So…" Aria leaned in, cupping her face and resting their foreheads together. "How do you feel about sucking my clit while the two of them fuck? I don't want to just stand here like an idiot, watching them be all sappy with each other."

Tevos stole another peek at their guests. Shepard and Liara were indeed being sappy, gazing into each other's eyes and re-learning each other with tender touches. She noticed without any surprise that Liara had already straddled Shepard's hips and taken about half her length inside, and seemed ready to make a good start on the rest. However, there was an empty space near their feet where the couch curved at a ninety degree angle. Plenty of room for Aria to sit and her to kneel.

"I would love that," she said, cuddling close against Aria's side for one final moment before taking her hand and dragging her toward the couch. "I could do with a little reconnection myself."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Yet another chapter supported by my wonderful patrons! If you want to support my writing, please check it out:

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**Better Said Without Words**

**. . .**

"So, you don't think it's weird?"

"No." Aria rolled her eyes, slumping further into the couch. Both of her arms were draped across the back, and she took up more than her fair share of space, but Shepard didn't seem to notice. The Commander had reached a happy, talkative stage of drunkenness about fifteen minutes into _Blasto Cures the Genophage_, and Aria doubted anything short of another Reaper invasion could dampen her good mood.

"Noooo?"

Shepard leaned closer, still clutching her half-empty bottle by the neck. It tilted at a dangerous angle, and Aria abandoned her comfortable position, straightening it without looking. She resumed paying attention just in time to watch Blasto swan dive from the top of a burning building, firing upward with all four guns. _Ugh. Even Noverian Rum isn't enough to make this shit bearable._

"What do you want, an inspirational speech?"

Shepard either didn't pick up on her sarcasm, or deliberately ignored it. "I've heard your 'inspirational speeches', and they kind of suck, to be honest."

"Thanks, Shepard. You're a real friend." Aria's gaze remained locked on the vid as an orange and red explosion bloomed across the screen. "Remind me how you tricked me into watching this again?"

"I didn't trick you," Shepard protested, a little indignantly. "You were begging to come over when Tevos told you she was taking Lycoris to see her grandmother."

"Yeah, but that didn't mean we had to watch Blasto. Honestly, Shepard, aside from T'Soni, I really have to question your taste. Oh, wait..."

Before she could lay on the end of her insult, Shepard pulled her feet up onto the couch, scooting closer into her personal space. "But you really don't think it's weird? You know, since Tevos and Liara have melded, and you and Liara have melded, and Tevos and I have melded..."

Aria sighed. She had hoped alcohol would shorten Shepard's attention span and make her forget her previous question, but apparently, she wasn't that lucky. "If you want to meld with me so badly, breathing right in my ear isn't the way to convince me," she said, lips twitching into a frown.

"But... you don't _have_ ears..." Shepard tipped backwards and laughed, resting her head against the arm of the couch and folding both arms over her stomach.

While she giggled, Aria scowled at the feet resting on her thighs. Having Shepard's socks on her prized leather pants wasn't doing much to improve her mood. "Get those off," she muttered, shoving Shepard's legs away with a pulse of her biotics. "My kid _and_ yours mess up my clothes enough already, and that's not counting what Tevos and T'Soni do to them."

"Fine." Instead of moving away, Shepard flipped in the other direction. After a few awkward rolling motions, Aria looked down to see bright red hair sprawled across her lap. Shepard peered up at her with brilliant green eyes, just a little off because of her implants. "You don't have to do your grumpy routine in front of me. It's okay to be genuinely upset about something without putting on a show. I know you have 'issues' with your mother-in-law..."

"Great. You can't just be an annoying drunk. You have to be an insightful one, too."

Shepard's grin didn't waver. "You can pretend to hate me all you want, but I know the truth. You _like_ me."

"'Like' is a pretty strong word," Aria said, although she didn't deny it. The truth was, she did like Shepard, birdsnest hair, drunken ramblings, inappropriately placed feet and all. But accepting it and admitting it were two different things. She had an image to maintain. "The fact that you have a hot tub upstairs is a point in your favor, even if it isn't as nice as mine back on Omega."

"Is that your roundabout way of asking me to go upstairs and make out with you?"

"Why go upstairs?" Aria's eyes flicked toward the television, and she immediately regretted it. "Making out with someone has to be better than watching Blasto get lucky with an elcor."

Shepard sat up, swinging a knee over her thigh and straddling her lap with a surprising amount of coordination. _Maybe she isn't as drunk as she likes to pretend,_ Aria thought, but she was distracted when Shepard fisted the front of her jacket. "There. Is this a better view?"

Aria smirked. "Much. But if you're going to manhandle my jacket, you'd better make it worth my while."

"What's wrong?" Shepard teased, giving the edges a soft tug. "I thought you liked it rough."

"Sometimes." Aria settled one of her hands on Shepard's hip, searching beneath her shirt for skin. She couldn't feel much difference with her gloves on, but she liked the low gasp Shepard made when she found it. "All right, big bad SpecTRe agent. _Impress_ me."

When they kissed, it wasn't gentle. Aria could taste the sweet spice of rum in Shepard's mouth along with an edge of desperation. Shepard had been almost flirtatious before, but now, she was _hungry_, and Aria appreciated the intensity. When Shepard's tongue asked for entrance, she fought back, nipping a full lower lip and trapping it between her teeth. That earned a groan, and the muscular body on top of hers shivered.

"You're mean," Shepard panted as they broke apart.

Aria licked her lips. "I don't know why you're surprised." She tugged at the hem of Shepard's shirt. "Or why you're still wearing this."

She stared with unconcealed appreciation as Shepard squirmed out of her hoodie and peeled her compression shirt over her head. Removing them left her hair more of a mess than usual, but it did put her stomach on enticing display. Tevos was thin and delicate, and Liara was toned beneath her lovely curves, but Shepard's strength was packed visibly into every inch of her body. It wasn't what Aria usually preferred, but it was so impressive that she couldn't hide her admiration.

"Remind me to thank Lawson one of these days. She did a damn good job rebuilding you."

"Don't give her all the credit. Vega and his pull-up contests deserve some of it," Shepard joked. "So, are you going to keep kissing me, or what?"

Aria fisted Shepard's hair, tangling her fingers through it and crashing their mouths together_. Maybe your demanding streak isn't so annoying after all. _Even though she appreciated it, she made Shepard fight her for control of the kiss. One of her hands was occupied, but the other was free, and she used it to her full advantage. She slid her gloved palm flat down Shepard's back, finding a firm grip on the swell of her ass.

"_Mean_," Shepard insisted, breaking away for breath.

"You could use a little meanness in your life." Before Shepard could capture her lips again, Aria kissed down her throat, making sure to use plenty of teeth and tongue. "T'Soni might be..." Kiss. "The Shadow Broker..." Suck. "But I've had hundreds of years to perfect the art." She latched on to Shepard's pulse point, and the hips above hers jerked in surprise and pleasure.

"Shit, Aria. You're going to make me ruin my pants too."

"Then why are you wearing them?" She let go of Shepard's head and brought both hands down, hooking them through the waistband. A few tugs tore them with some help from her biotics, and soon, Shepard was kneeling above her in nothing but a pair of tight black boxers.

Shepard stared down at the ruined fabric in disbelief. "Seriously? Did you just _rip my pants off?_ After bitching me out for putting my feet on yours?"

Aria didn't bother hiding her smugness. "Go complain to Tevos. I'm sure she'll sympathize." She stripped the ruined fabric away and tossed it to the floor, making sure to brush against Shepard's thighs in the process. They felt better bare, and she peeled off her gloves, draping them carefully over the arm of the couch. Shepard didn't melt the way Tevos did at the touch of leather, and Aria wanted to feel things properly.

"You're such a hypocrite," Shepard snorted.

"I never claimed otherwise." She leaned back for the best possible view, letting her eyes roam greedily up and down Shepard's body. Aside from her boxers, the Commander was completely naked. A galaxy of faint freckles dotted her skin, and her pale pink nipples had already hardened to stiff points. "Cold?" Aria asked, cupping a firm breast and flicking her thumb over the tip. "Or are you getting impatient?"

Shepard arched, and Aria caught the shudder that coursed through her. "Nope. Just deciding what I'm going to do to you for ruining my pants."

Aria smiled. Knowing Shepard, it was bound to be something good. But first, she had a point to prove. She took the nipple she had been teasing between her lips, swirling her tongue around it and skating over it with the very edges of her teeth. Shepard hissed, grabbing for her crest, and Aria counted it as a victory. She allowed the hold, but didn't let it direct her. She continued sucking, running her hands up and down Shepard's sides, drinking in as much skin as possible. It was a refreshing change to feel so much power beneath them.

While her mouth was occupied, her hands wandered lower. She busied herself removing Shepard's boxers, which wasn't an easy task while both of them were so distracted. When squeezing a hand beneath the waistband and grazing the short hairs there wasn't satisfying enough, she released the tip of Shepard's breast with a soft pop and tugged them down and off. Shepard shifted to help, legs shaking. "You move fast, don't you? At least you didn't rip them this time..."

"No," Aria said, studying the dark stain on the front of the fabric. She tossed them aside with the rest of Shepard's clothes, then rested her hands on Shepard's hips. "But I did ruin them."

Shepard leaned in, hot breath carrying only a small trace of rum. "I'll forgive you if you make it worth my while."

"From threats of revenge to bargaining?" Aria drawled. "You must be getting desperate, Shepard." But she drew one of her hands toward the juncture of Shepard's legs, raking with her nails and raising goosebumps along the way.

Aria wasn't surprised when her fingertips found wetness. It ran over them like warm silk, and the corners of her mouth twitched into a proud smirk. She had earned it all without a single direct touch. Shepard stiffened above her, and she hummed in approval, placing a kiss on one muscular bicep. "Really? I'm just getting started, and the great Commander Shepard is already quaking above me. Are you sure this isn't why you invited me over?"

"Y—you invited yourself over," Shepard said, teeth gritted with restraint. She was trying not to roll her hips, and Aria made it her mission to coax them into moving. They remained still when she pressed harder and rubbed in circles, but Shepard's hands did shoot past her head to grip the back of the couch.

"Good idea," Aria laughed. "Better brace yourself, because I'm not stopping."

"Sadist."

"Of course." She pulled back, but not enough to leave the swollen, slippery bud of Shepard's clit, ghosting over it instead of grinding into it. "Your bondmate needs someone to slap her around the way she likes."

Shepard glared down at her, and for a moment, Aria thought she might have gone too far. But then Shepard's eyes narrowed with a gleeful sort of determination, and Aria knew she would be getting the explosive reaction she wanted—once she finished making Shepard fall apart, of course. "Yeah? Well, your bondmate can come to me if she ever needs a little muscle. Biotics are fun and all, but to really overpower someone, you want a marine with a few cybernetic enhancements to do the job."

"You mean like this?" Without warning, Aria slid down, leaving Shepard's clit and seeking out her entrance. She pushed in as soon as she found it, driving deep as Shepard's walls rippled around her. "I spent centuries as a commando, Shepard." She started thrusting, using quick strokes that made Shepard's breath hitch. "We know how to play rough without biotics..." She hooked her fingers forward and concentrated, summoning the smallest amount of biotic energy she could. "Although they do have their advantages."

The low buzz had Shepard bucking. Ribbons of wetness poured into Aria's hand, and she tilted the heel up, offering a surface for Shepard to catch her clit against. "You... you're worse than a sadist," Shepard panted, chest heaving. "You're a selfish, arrogant asshole."

"I know. I have no idea why we're friends." She curled against the puffy, ridged place along Shepard's front wall, exerting as much pressure as she could while the tendons in her wrist burned. "You're not wrong about the selfish and arrogant part, but I'd only be an asshole if I didn't let you come."

Shepard tried to respond, but her words were lost. Her entire body shook, and Aria waited, savoring the buildup of anticipation. It wouldn't take much to make Shepard explode. Shepard's wetness had almost become a river, and she was clenching impossibly tight. She was rather pleased with herself for pushing Shepard so close to the brink, and she knew she would be gloating about it afterward, especially in Liara's presence.

"I'm getting some payback after this," Shepard growled, giving up and rocking into the thrusts. Aria let her join the rhythm, but didn't let her control it. She kept up the same pace, forcing Shepard to yield to it. "I promise. I'm gonna fuck that smug look right off your face."

Aria's smirk remained firmly in place. She changed the angle of her hand, bringing her thumb back to Shepard's clit. "I'm looking forward to watching you try."

It was Shepard's undoing. She locked up, and Aria felt a wave of satisfaction as the slick muscles squeezing her fingers started to shiver. Shepard pulsed, sending streams of heat along her hand, her wrist... and down onto her pristine leather pants. _Fuck, I guess it's worth it,_ she thought as Shepard shouted to the ceiling. _She looks good when she comes, even while making that face. _The strain in Shepard's body made it more beautiful, and Aria couldn't resist taking the plump tip of a nipple back into her mouth.

The greedy circles of her tongue seemed to extend Shepard's release. Her aftershocks were heavy, and Aria continued curling through them, hitting the spot that made Shepard scream the loudest. By the time Shepard stopped responding to her thrusts, both of them were sticky with sweat and come. Aria almost wished she had taken the opportunity to meld. The orgasm she had given Shepard had obviously been a good one. She let the hum around her fingers die, but she didn't withdraw them. Shepard might collapse if she moved too soon.

"You could have shared that," Shepard said, picking up on her thoughts without any help at all. "I would have let you."

For once, Aria's smile was soft and genuine. "And miss out on your 'revenge'? I don't think so. Show me what you've got, soldier girl."

Shepard dismounted, and even though she had some warning, Aria wasn't quite prepared for what happened next. In a flash, she was flat on her back, wrists pinned to the arm of the couch with Shepard's weight on top of her. There wasn't time for a smart comeback before Shepard's lips crashed into hers.

She might have been able to escape if she cheated and used her biotics, but as she arched beneath Shepard's body, she realized that she was well and truly trapped without them. She wasn't a match for Shepard's strength, but instead of angering her, the brief moment of helplessness was actually arousing. It was a complete reversal of her usual role during sex, and it was something almost no one else could give her.

_It _would _take the savior of the galaxy to top me,_ she thought, excited rather than upset. Still, she was reluctant to give in too easily. She didn't try to escape, but she broke their kiss and nipped the lobe of Shepard's ear to encourage her. The more she wound Shepard up, the more intensity Shepard would have to unleash on her.

She wasn't exactly sure how Shepard tore her out of her clothes, especially while they were kissing, but she didn't much care. Her pants were already a mess anyway. She didn't protest as Shepard peeled them off, and even lifted her hips to help, but the motion left her in a vulnerable position. A cry cracked in her throat as she found purchase against Shepard's hard stomach, and her clit twitched.

Shepard hardly seemed to notice the sound, or her rocking hips. The Commander was focused on the series of buckles that held her corset together. Aria shrugged out of her jacket before it suffered any damage, and before it hit the floor, the leather straps of her top loosened. Shepard's mouth dragged down the slope of her chest, and she hissed as blunt teeth sank into the top of her breast.

"Tevos won't be happy you if you leave too many marks," she said, a little breathless.

Shepard growled and bit down harder, holding for several seconds. "If Tevos has a problem with it, she can suck my dick."

"She'd probably thank you for the opportunity..." Aria flinched as Shepard's teeth latched on to a new spot. "Shit, that _hurt._"

At last, Shepard released her. "I thought you liked it rough?"

The fresh bite-mark throbbed, hot from the memory of Shepard's mouth and cold with spit, and a shudder rolled through Aria's body. She gripped Shepard's hair, fisting the choppy red locks. "Oh, I do. But you haven't given it to me yet."

She got what she wanted. Shepard blazed a trail down her body, scorching every sensitive place. Aria tried using her grasp to keep control, but it didn't help. She had no sway over where Shepard's tongue and teeth went. She clutched the back of Shepard's head in desperation instead of directing it, forced to endure a pace she hadn't chosen.

By the time Shepard reached her navel, her chest and stomach were littered with bruises. Her skin burned, and so did her lungs as she drew in desperate gulps of air. She couldn't stifle the needy sounds she was making either, and she was amazed at how swiftly Shepard had managed to barrel past her defenses. It usually took much more than a few minutes of foreplay to overwhelm her, and only Tevos knew precisely the way to do it.

The constant flow of desire coursing through her was interrupted, and she came to a startling realization. Sometime during the past few years, Shepard had learned her secrets. It was an unsettling thought, and she wasn't certain how it made her feel. Fortunately, Shepard didn't give her long to dwell on it. Strong arms hauled her knees up, and she glanced down just in time to see Shepard's broad shoulders slip beneath them.

"You don't look so smug anymore," Shepard said, suddenly serious. "You just look like you want me."

"I want you," Aria muttered. She wasn't ashamed of admitting it. She felt _safe_ with Shepard, a state of being she rarely entered.

It was enough. A wave of warm breath washed over her, and then Shepard's tongue covered her in a wide, slow swipe. The contact was unfocused, but it sent a jolt straight to Aria's clit. Pleasure pulsed from her azure to the rest of her body, and she moaned in surprise as her inner walls fluttered. Once again, Shepard had managed to undo her with a single touch.

She pulled harder at Shepard's hair, but it did nothing to ground her. Within a few strokes, she was grinding against the lower half of Shepard's face, coating it with wetness in her effort to find relief. Teasing had been fun before, but the ache growing inside her was becoming too powerful to ignore. It doubled when two of Shepard's fingers brushed her entrance, testing her readiness. "Inside," she gasped, spreading her thighs further apart on top of Shepard's shoulders. "I want you to fuck me."

But even though Shepard's fingers weren't gentle as they slammed inside her to the hilt, it wasn't quite fucking. Or, at least, not _just_ fucking. It was raw and primal, a give and take of power, but there was substance behind it, something that reminded Aria more of Tevos than the countless aliens and asari she had slept with over the many centuries of her life. Maybe it was because she felt like she truly _knew_ the person between her legs. Not just knew her, but liked her. Cared about her.

_Damn it, you really are a disease,_ Aria thought as she stared past her heaving stomach. Shepard's green eyes peered up at her, trying to make a connection, and the piercing gaze made her falter. _I'm sick and tired of doing this. _But Nyreen had weakened her walls. Liara had slipped in while she wasn't paying attention. And Tevos... Goddess, Tevos had razed them to the ground completely, leaving her raw and open. Now, here was Shepard, earnest and kind and affectionate and disgustingly _nice,_ and for reasons she couldn't begin to understand, she was falling into the same trap again.

Her thoughts were such a chaotic mess that she scarcely noticed the warning signs. Her azure clutched at Shepard's pumping fingers, and her clit throbbed in the seal of Shepard's lips. Her head began to buzz, but she pushed back against the ticklish pull, unwilling to let it guide her. She wasn't ready to surrender, and in her current state, that was what the union would be. "Fuck," she groaned, "don't... don't stop..."

The hot pressure of Shepard's mouth spread further, sucking her in. The physical sensations were exquisite, but they nearly tore her in two. She wanted to meld, but if she joined their minds, Aria knew it would be about more than getting off. She would be sharing something she couldn't take back.

_Fuck, Tevos, _she thought, blinking the sting from her eyes. _This is your fault. You've ruined me._ But Shepard's fingers sped up, pumping deep inside her, and it quickly became too much. She needed to meld, and not just because she needed to come. The effort of keeping their minds apart made her heart ache. Her words were failing her, but she offered a warning as best she could. "Shepard..."

Shepard didn't stop. Instead, she increased her efforts. Aria took it as non-verbal permission. Her hips jerked up from the couch, freezing in midair, and the tingle at the back of her head stretched outward, enveloping them both.

The rush of thoughts spilling in her was too fast to make sense of at first, but it only took her a few moments to adjust. She had melded with aliens before, and though she preferred her own people, she had joined with enough humans to understand how their minds worked. They wore their feelings openly, proudly, and Shepard was no exception. The wave of emotion that greeted her wasn't surprising, but its force was overwhelming—just like Shepard herself.

There was also a hint of hesitation, and even though she felt anything but calm and controlled, Aria did her best to soothe it. _Relax. You're fine. You won't get lost._ A soul as strong and bright as Shepard's could never be lost, but Aria kept that thought to herself instead of offering it up. It was almost too brilliant to touch.

_Oh God. You're like an ocean, too, but... stormy._

Aria began to relax. She wasn't sure why she had expected melding with Shepard to be so vastly different than the experiences they had already shared. It was more intense, but it didn't change the bond that existed between them. They had fought together, slept together, been close friends for years already. This extension of their relationship felt much more natural than she had anticipated in the moments leading up to it.

_An ocean in a storm?_ Her laughter stretched through both their minds. _I didn't know you were so poetic, Shepard._

_Tevos. Tevos was like water all around, and you..._

Shepard dove deeper within her, and Aria took over the role of guide, steering the Commander away from any dark pools. She was surprisingly comfortable having Shepard in her mind, but that didn't mean she wanted to share everything. Some parts of her were reserved for Tevos. As she grew accustomed to Shepard's presence, her need swelled. She had been on the edge of coming before the meld, and her body's needs hadn't gone away, especially with Shepard's lust there to amplify them.

_You didn't have to stop fucking me, _she thought, giving an encouraging push of her hips. _Keep going._

Shepard did, but not in a bid for dominance. That game was over. Her fingers curled expertly, and the seal of her lips tightened. Aria felt another rush of heat, but this time, it was accompanied by a wave of affection—_her_ affection for Shepard. It wasn't the same fierce, gutting love she felt for Tevos, but it was still there, clear and unmistakeable. Shepard meant something to her, frustrating morals and all, and it was far too late to be afraid.

Aria pushed past her brief spike of panic, not bothering to suppress it. She wasn't the type to say such things aloud, and that was unlikely to change, but Shepard deserved to know. Shepard probably already knew, or she wouldn't have wanted to meld in the first place. Instead of spiraling into a whirlpool of feelings, Aria went where she was most comfortable. She focused on the physical sensations, the strokes of Shepard's tongue over her ridge, the sharp pressure Shepard's curling fingertips found with unerring accuracy. They were purposeful, insistent, just like Shepard's voice in her head.

_Do it, Aria. I want to feel you come. Please?_

The please made Aria feel a little better about her surrender, but she would have come anyway. She clung tight to the threads that bound them, drawing what she needed from the bright beacon of Shepard's soul. Her biotics surged, and humming energy coursed through her as she flew over the edge. Powerful ripples rolled through her body, releasing in waves of warmth and spilling onto Shepard's chin. She tried to give as well as take, offering her pleasure up for Shepard to share.

Through the meld, she felt her orgasm rip through Shepard's body as well. The shoulders beneath her knees stiffened, and the fingers inside her hooked forward and stayed there, hitting the perfect spot. Both of them trembled, and Aria's tangled grip on Shepard's hair turned into a caress. She wasn't sure where the moment of gentleness had come from, but she wasn't ashamed of it. Perhaps going a little soft wasn't such a bad thing, as long as no one else found out.

Their shared release took a while to wind down. It had been exhausting, as melding with a new partner often was, and Aria used the last of her strength to sever her connection with Shepard as neatly as she could. She felt strangely alone in her head once they separated, and a slight wrinkle formed in her forehead. The raw intensity that lived within Shepard was a lot to handle, but part of her wished she had stayed longer.

"That was... different," Shepard said, resting a damp cheek against her stomach.

Aria stared down at her, forehead raising in question. "Hmm?"

"It was... we were connected, but I was still me. I wasn't worried I might lose myself."

"You'd never lose yourself in me like you would with T'Soni, Shepard," Aria said. "We contrast, we don't blend together."

Shepard's lips curled into a smile. "Contrast isn't such a bad thing, though, is it? Humans even have a phrase for it. Ever heard one say 'opposites attract'?"

"Opposites attract," Aria repeated, testing out the phrase. "That's a nice little idiom. I guess it explains why I want to fuck T'Soni stupid most of the time."

Shepard's grin didn't hold a trace of jealousy. "Or why you fell in love with Tevos," she pointed out.

The mention of love made Aria fall silent. She wasn't sure how much Shepard had been able to glean from their meld, but it was probably enough. She sighed, tugging at Shepard's arm and pulling her up into a better cuddling position. _I've already gone this far. We might as well enjoy the afterglow together._

It was a little more difficult getting comfortable with Shepard than Tevos, but not impossible. After some trial and error, they found a position that worked. "Don't worry," Shepard whispered against the back of her neck, draping an arm around her waist. "I won't tell our bondmates you were the little spoon."

Aria knew Shepard was promising more than that. "I don't give a fuck anymore, Shepard. I mean, you're not Tevos, but you give pretty good head. You've earned the right to spoon the Queen of Omega."

Shepard snorted into her shoulder. "Thanks... I think."

Just when Aria was debating whether to close her eyes or flip Shepard over for another round, the band around her wrist buzzed. After a moment's debate, she activated her omnitool, brightening when she saw the name on the screen. As she had hoped, it was the only person she actually wanted to talk to. She answered the call, making sure the camera picked up a good angle. "Couldn't stay away for long, could you?"

Tevos rolled her eyes in pretend-annoyance, but the slight tinge of purple at the points of her cheeks told Aria that the view was having an effect. "And I see you couldn't even wait a day before ending up in bed with someone else."

Shepard snickered behind her, but Aria only smirked. "You're just jealous. You would have called Shepard too if I'd left you home alone."

Tevos didn't deny it, but the corners of her tattooed lips twitched. "I'm glad at least one of us is having fun. Lycoris and I just landed on Thessia. We're about to head for the estate."

Aria made a face. "Good luck with that. Better you than me. But please—"

"I remember our agreement. My mother knows if she says one negative thing about us or purebloods around Lycoris, the two of us are leaving."

"Good." She paused, unsure what else to say, or how much she wanted to reveal in front of Shepard.

"There's still time to catch a transport if you want to join us tomorrow," Tevos said, breaking the silence. "The jump to Thessia doesn't take that long, and we could use a family vacation."

"Some vacation," Aria muttered, but she gave Tevos a smile. "Have a good time. Try not to commit homicide. Lycoris needs at least one parent to set a good example."

Tevos shook her head in amusement. "Thank you for the very hypocritical reminder. If you're staying the night at Shepard's, send pictures. Shepard, make sure to keep her out of trouble while I'm gone."

Shepard gave a salute from over top of Aria's head. "Can do, Tevos."

"Oh, shut up, Shepard. I love you too, babe," Aria said, blowing a kiss before ending the call.

"Wow," Shepard said once the connection dropped. "You two are disgustingly sappy. Remind me why you make fun of me and Liara again?"

Aria rolled out of Shepard's arms and stretched, trying to work out the kinks in her back. As nice as it was, the couch really wasn't big enough for the two of them. "It's about to get sappier. I already have a private transport prepped for tomorrow morning. She doesn't know."

"Of course you do," Shepard laughed. "Sending your wife and daughter to face Tevos Senior alone would be pretty cowardly."

"Right?" Aria leaned over to grab her pants, examining them to see the extent of the damage. "I think I can save these," she said, mostly to herself. "It's a good thing leather cleans well."

Shepard sat up beside her, chin resting on the ball of her shoulder. "So, why didn't you just go with Tevos in the first place? It wasn't just so you'd have an excuse to spend the night with me, was it?"

"It's possible. Maybe I knew both of our bondmates would be busy if I waited a day. Or maybe I just didn't want to deal with a crying baby while traveling..."

"You're not as much of an asshole as you claim to be," Shepard said, placing a kiss against her neckfolds.

Aria tried not to shiver. "You're not as much of an asshole as I tell people you are. So... my transport doesn't leave until morning. Think we have time to use the hot tub?"

"I like that idea." Shepard let go of her and stood, stepping over her ruined clothes. "You..." She waited a beat, waggling her eyebrows. "...read my mind."

"I'm already regretting this," Aria groaned, but she ducked her head to hide her amusement. If Shepard knew her bad jokes were actually funny once in awhile, it would only encourage her.


End file.
